


Journey to Eternity

by TheCowardSurvives



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2020-10-28 07:23:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 102,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20774744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCowardSurvives/pseuds/TheCowardSurvives
Summary: With every timeline, a new universe is birthed. The Doctor and Rose are reunited, vowing not to repeat the regrets of their previous time together. The Doctor becomes fixated on finding a way to keep Rose with him forever, while Rose struggles to help them both recover from their traumatic pasts. Something follows. With the end of one race, a new one is born.





	1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Where does the time go?  
It's light out my window.

\----------

The night air was warm for London. Warm enough to leave the window open a crack. The moon was full and casting a strong light into the thin white curtains that billowed softly in the light breeze. The curtain glowed in the moonlight making it look like a ghost, lonely and wanting for a haunt. There were enough ghosts in that room already.

Brown eyes stared blankly at the moving shape. Entranced, and yet completely unseeing. Soft shadows fluttered across soft features, the face of women who'd lost everything. More than once. She sat fully dressed in a simple wooden chair in the center of the room. A double bed lay empty under the windowsill, fully made and without a crease.

A bright light appeared from the nightstand. Her cellphone. The one she didn't care about. She remained immobile in her chair. The curtain created movement in the room while it played with the light. Tiny holes in the plaster told the story of pictures no longer worth looking at. Hidden away in drawers or torn up in a fit of emotion. Now there were no emotions… there was nothing left… just emptiness.

Rose Tyler was a sliver of the girl she'd been before. So much time had passed, so many amazing memories… so many painful ones. She refused to let herself remember any of them, even the good memories hurt. They hurt more than the bad ones. Part of her often wondered if she might have been spared the heartache if she'd just said no to those remarkable blue eyes long ago.

He had shown her a better life. Gave her thrills and excitement beyond her wildest dreams. Made her feel like the most important person in the universe… but it was all gone. All of it. Now all she had was her work for Torchwood. The only time she could feel alive was when she was risking her life. It was the only way to feel him again… so when she wasn't doing that, she sat in the dark and waited. They rarely called her anymore. Something about a risk to herself and others… her mind not being what it used to be… but when they did call, it was always for the most important cases. She was still, after all, defender of the Earth. That title hadn't been taken from her yet.

Her parents, Jackie and Pete, as well as her little brother Tony, had long since given up trying to reach out to her. She'd created a divide between them, not wanting to get close to anything or anyone again. Even her dog, she'd given to Tony to take care of. There was no hope for her, that was what her mother would say. She tried so hard in those first few years after the accident, but even a mother's love couldn't pull her from the darkness.

The phone began to ring. Rose lifted herself slowly from the wooden chair and crossed the floor to the nightstand. Beside her sleek smartphone was a chunky brick style phone, ten years old by that time. Her hand hovered over its lifeless shape for half a moment, then gingerly picked up the smartphone.

"Hello?" She held the phone to her ear and waited. Her face remained completely expressionless as the other voice spoke through the phone. "I'll be right there." Without another word, she hung up the phone and slid it into her back pocket and turned to walk away. She froze for a moment, then turned back and grabbed the smaller phone and shoved it in her other back pocket. She'd never been anywhere without it, even though she knew no one would be calling.

Crossing the floor and pulling the door open, she never bothered to give the bedroom a second glance. The door slid closed behind her and the room was filled with nothing but the peaceful shadows of the curtain.

\-----

"Jonathan, come here." A short man with a pale complexion and sandy brown hair hissed over his shoulder as he leaned into the bright glow of a computer screen. His eyes were wide with excitement as he scanned the information there. In the dark, the man behind him stepped forward and sipped his tea casually.

"What you got, bogey?" Jonathan asked as he dunked his tea bag a few times then pulled it out and tossed it in a nearby waste basket. He was tall and skinny with dark skin and winning dimples.

"No- look!" The first man smacked the second in the gut and forced him to lean in. There was a red bar across the screen with bold white letters.

"Bloody hell…" Jonathan whispered. "Erik, is this… is this real? It can't be real, I mean… that would have to mean there's been some sort of dimensional…" He fumbled to produce a word, the first man only nodded enthusiastically in response.

"Spain," He whispered. "That's so close!"

"Should we call… her?" Jonathan crouched down and gave his partner a hesitant look. Erik returned it and bit the end of his thumb anxiously. There was a long silence.

"Not sure," Erik responded at last. "You've heard the rumours." Jonathan nodded sadly.

"It's like the engines running… but no one's behind the wheel." They turned and stared at the screen in silence once more. A decision weighed heavily on them.

"I feel like we have to?" Erik finally said in a whisper.

"She's been through so much… what if it's not him?"

"You know she would beat us to a bloody pulp if she knew we'd kept it a secret… She's bound to find out." Erik pushed his chair back, suddenly decided, and reached for a red landline phone that was fixed to the wall behind them.

"Maybe just tell her to come down, yeah?" Jonathan offered. "Give us a little more time to figure out what's going on. Why he's here. If it's truly him…" Erik nodded in agreement, then his attention turned to the phone.

"Rose? Yeah. Erik. We're going to need you to come down the HQ right away." He paused for only a second. "Right then, cheers." He hung up the phone and pulled himself back to the desk. "I hope my shift is over by the time she gets in." He groaned as they both stared at the red bar.

The white letters sprawled across the screen in all capitals: 'THE DOCTOR IS IN'.

\------

By the time Rose had arrived at Torchwood Head Quarters, the halls seemed to be alive with activity. Unusual for that time of night, it had to have been two in the morning. Rose offered quiet pardons as she pushed through the crowd that had built up around the control room where Erik had called her from. The air instantly grew tense as people began to notice her.

"Oh, uh, Rose." Erik fumbled with the buttons of his vest awkwardly. "Thanks for coming so quickly-" Rose didn't both to look at him, her eyes immediately found the screen that was now being projected on the big screen at the head of the room. Whatever Erik had been babbling she never heard. Her body was rigid as she read the words over and over in her head. It couldn't be, it couldn't possibly be.

"Is this accurate?" She turned sharply to Erik, cutting him off. Her eyes wide with urgency, her words pointed.

"W-we believe so." Erik stuttered.

"The readings fit," Jonathan confirmed. Rose's eyes darted to his. "We triple confirmed… we wanted to be sure."

"Where?" Was all she managed. Her hands were shaking and clammy. The crowd at the door watched with the slightest amount of whispering. "Where?" She all but shouted when no answer came fast enough.

"Barcelona!" Erik squeaked. "Spain." Rose turned swiftly on her heel.

"Send me the coordinates." She said hurriedly as she pushed her way through the crowd on onlookers.

"Don't you want to know why he's here first?" Jonathan called after her but it was too late. She had broken into a run. He turned to look at Erik who was blotting his brow with a handkerchief.

\-----

The flight had been the most painful part of the journey. Three hours she had to sit and wait, her adrenaline pumping despite her lack of movement. All the thoughts she'd spared herself from having been suddenly set free and lighting fires all over her brain. In all those thoughts, however, she never spared one for what her supervisor might think of her taking off the way she did. Or what might lie ahead for her, what evil had The Doctor come to stop?

Rose walked with a purpose down the stunning city streets of Barcelona. Her smartphone poised in her hand as her eyes flicked back and forth between the coordinates and the environment around her. The city was just waking up, there weren't many people around. The area she was in was very residential, very peaceful. There were flower boxes in every window, but she never bothered to look. Her face was flushed with exertion as she powered forward. She was so close, almost had there. She turned a corner.

There she was.

Sitting pretty as a picture, in silent might and wonder. The TARDIS was parked neatly in the back corner of an alley, next to some trash bags. Rose felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of her. Like a mirage in the desert, she could hardly believe in what she was really seeing. Her body was sweating from the adrenaline. It had to be a dream. Any second now she would awake in the sad dark room having somehow fallen asleep. She clenched her fists tight enough that her nails pierced her own skin. She didn't awake. Part of her was terrified, frozen to the spot, the other part of her was screaming 'we didn't come here to look at it'. She took a few shaky steps forward and then broke into a sprint.

Trembling hands made contact with the hard painted wood and she let out the breath she'd been holding. It was real. For a moment, she swore she felt something pulse from the TARDIS, almost like a welcoming. Rose stood for a moment, hands firmly against the ancient ship. Inside, there could very likely be an ancient alien. Her right hand slowly reached into the collar of her shirt and pulled up a chain that hung from her neck. Her old key. She slid it over her head and shakily held it near the lock.

A million thoughts raced through her head. How much time had passed for him? Would this be The Doctor she'd remembered, or would he wear another face? Would he remember her? Would he be traveling with someone else? Would he think she looked old… it had been ten years for her. Would he look at her the way he looked at Sarah Jane? The thoughts made her second guess her decision to come, but her heart pounded its needs and she was inclined to obey. Her trembling hand hovered the key just outside the lock, her heart pounded in her ears and her entire body was clammy. After all the years of hoping, and wishing, and begging. All the years staring at a phone that never rang. Dreaming of a day that wasn't even possible.

"Oi!" A voice from behind made her gasp, the key dropped to the ground with a tiny clink. "What are you doing?" Rose was frozen. Eyes wide. She didn't dare turn around, there was no way what she was hearing was real. It just wasn't possible. Was it? She shut her eyes tightly and willed herself to wake up, but again she could confirm she wasn't dreaming. She held her shaking hands up in a way that suggested surrender, but she didn't turn. Couldn't bring herself to turn. "I asked you a question." The voice was firm, but there was a hint of curiosity behind it. Rose shut her eyes tight and tried to think of a rational explanation. If she'd learned anything from her travels with The Doctor, it was that anything was possible. In a Universe where her dad was alive perhaps it was possible… "Is that a key?" The voice persisted, it was much closer now. The familiarity of it sent shivers down Rose's spine, she kept her eyes closed and focused on the Northern tones. "Where'd you get that?" The voice was now beneath her. She opened her eyes and looked down.

There he was. Closely cropped hair, beaten leather jacket, crouched beneath her studying the key she had dropped. His head tilted up to get his first look at her, at first it was serious but the second their eyes met he'd gone agape with shock. He stumbled backward and fell in a hasty retreat from her. His eyes had been as gorgeous as Rose had remembered, lashes framing beautiful blues in a canvas of ridged angles and lines. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost. Rose slowly lowered her hands as they stared at each other, both unsure of what to make of the situation. The wide shocked eyes of The Doctor became glassy suddenly as if he couldn't hide the emotions that overwhelmed him. Then he suddenly jumped to his feet, the softness replaced by anger. A deep seething rage that terrified Rose to her core.

"Who are you?" He demanded in a tone usually reserved for the foulest of foul enemies. "Why are you wearing that face?" Rose was completely caught off guard.

"It's the only one I've got." She replied in a more timid voice than she'd intended, but a voice that resembled the Rose she used to be.

"Normally I love a bit of cheek, but I'm suddenly not in the mood for it." His expression didn't change. "Where did you get this key?" He lifted it up.

"You gave it to me." Rose tried. "At the Estates, just after the Slitheen crashed that ship into Big Ben." There was a small tremor to his features but he remained unshaken. "It's really me, Doctor. It's Rose."

"Not possible." He spat out swiftly.

"Why not?" She crossed her arms. "And anyway- I should be the one doubting you. I saw you regenerate, you haven't looked like that in a long time." The Doctor lowered his arm and allowed a look of curiosity to wash over him. "How do I know you're really The Doctor?" The Doctor seemed offended, he looked away and let out a puff of breath before looking back at her.

"Of course I'm The Doctor. Who else could I be?" He gestured to the ship next to them. "TARDIS? Time Lord?"

"But I saw you regenerate." Rose insisted.

"And I saw you burn."

His words were fell from the air like stones to the earth. They rattled around Rose's brain in a way she couldn't comprehend. They were both silent. Regarding one another with curiosity and suspicion. Pain and excitement. The conflicting emotions made the air of that small alley seem thick and hot. Rose broke eye contact and looked shyly at her feet.

"W-what do you mean?" She asked quietly. "Burn?" There was more silence in the air. The Doctor, still in complete disbelief that he was talking to Rose, couldn't help but feel anguish as he debated on clarifying. Whoever stood in front of him had to be a clever shapeshifter, one that knew all about their history, but a touch too late to take advantage. It still hurt to look at her. "This is mad," Rose said suddenly shaking her head and gripping it loosely with her hands. "I've finally snapped. They were right about me after all." She took a few steps away from The Doctor, who watched with a carefully guarded eye. "I've officially checked out. A vegetable sitting in my room thinking I'm with The Doctor again." She laughed ironically and threw her hands down, away from her hair. Her eyes focused on the ground, focused on trying to get back to reality.

A throat cleared behind her and she spun around. The Doctor was still here. His arms crossed and brow quizzical.

"Rose Tyler was burned by the Time Vortex on Game Station nearly twelve years ago." He stated with a sterile unfeeling tone. A hand flew to Rose's mouth and she turned away quickly. "That's right. Whatever clever research you've done on me, you're a little late." Rose ignored him. Her mind buzzed with possibilities. With the likely unlimited amount of Universes, this being just one different from her own, there were likely other Universes with other Doctors and Rose's. Without absorbing the Time Vortex from her, The Doctor would have never needed to regenerate.

"But there was no Rose in this Universe…" Rose said quietly to herself. She turned to face The Doctor who regarded her with curiosity, guilt, and anger. "How did you get here, Doctor?"

"Purely by accident," He crossed his arms. "I was going through the Time Vortex, tickety-boo, next thing you know we get a harsh shove and we're here on Earth." He looked around him suddenly. "Barcelona…" He let out a little laugh but there was no humour in it. He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Doctor," Rose took a step forward, but seeing his discomfort stopped swiftly. "You have to believe me. I am Rose." He pulled his hands from his pockets, the look of anger returned. Rose swiftly raised her hands up in a non-threatening manner. "This is not my original Universe… yours either." She spat out hurriedly then paused and watched his reaction. His lips pursed as he considered. He wanted to believe her, she could tell. "On Game Station, in my Universe, you saved me. You pulled the Time Vortex from my body somehow, you absorbed it!" He looked away as he processed the information. "It nearly killed you, so you had to regenerate. I saw! Right in front of me! You basically exploded into light!" His eyes darted back at her. "You were in a coma for a bit, but once you were on your feet you were saving the world again." Rose smiled as she remembered the adventures. "We did a lot together… It was brilliant." She hugged herself. The Doctor ran his eyes up and down her form thoughtfully, then looked away again and rested his palm thoughtfully over his mouth.

"If that's true…" He began skeptically. "How did you end up here, and where am I?" The smile fell from Rose's face. The Doctor watched her carefully. There was silence for a little while.

"We- um." Rose tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and gulped. "We were separated…" She said quietly. "I, uh…" She tried to gather her composure. "Spent a long time trying to figure out how to get back to you… did a lot of insane things…" She looked up to the blue sky as she fought back the tears. "I guess… Fate just didn't want us together anymore." She let out a little laugh. "But you gave me a parting gift…" She attempted a smile as her arms clasped tightly around herself as she considered how to go about the next bit of information. The Doctor was quiet, his barrier against her breaking down slightly. "I think you called it a meta-crisis… it was like a clone of you, only… human?" Her brow creased as she tried to remember the details. "He stayed with me here, in this Universe, while you continued on in yours." She closed her eyes firmly and attempted to swallow the large lump that had formed in her throat.

"Where is he now?" The Doctor asked, his voice much softer. Rose turned to look away, her eyes squeezed shut.

"They called it an accident." She squeaked out, as she fought back tears. "He… died defending this Earth…" She covered her mouth as she held in a sob. It had truly been the first time she'd talked about that day since it happened five years ago. The last nail in the coffin for her. There had been hope, that she could at least live out her days with The Doctor in some form. There was a promise of a normal life with him, maybe less exciting but something she could hold onto. Unfortunately, he was just too perfect of a copy. He was The Doctor. He was tortured living the domestic human life, and he continued to put himself at risk as he had before. He couldn't grasp that he was a lot more fragile, he wouldn't be able to pull the same stunts. Maybe he didn't care… maybe he wanted a way out. Rose refused to think about it. She never let those thoughts and memories enter her head until today.

Rose shook with the emotion that overflowed from the vaults of her mind. The tears stinging as they forced their way out of her tightly clamped eyelids. She had been so childish back then, dreaming that she would travel with The Doctor forever. Thinking she was special, she was important. Somewhere out there, in another Universe, another time, her Doctor was traveling with someone else. Darkness crept around the edges of her vision. It grew and began to make her feel hot and claustrophobic. Her breathing turned to quick pants as she tried to fight off the darkness, but it suddenly overpowered her. Rose collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

In the vast darkness of her mind Rose sunk deeper and deeper. It was as if her body was weightless and her mind had suddenly been set free of the trauma that burdened it. The need to scream was no longer there. It was almost as if she was in a vast ocean, just after a storm. Two arms carefully wrapped around her in a comforting embrace. She allowed herself to sink into the familiar textures of leather and cotton.

"When I lost you…" The familiar accent crooned softly into the dark and began to pull Rose upwards, towards the surface. "When I failed to save you. I fell to pieces." Rose tried to pull herself together as she listened. "I lost my people, my planet… but that pain seemed incomparable to the pain of losing you. Of failing you." His arms squeezed her tighter. "Twelve years… I've floated along, alone, trying to find some way to fix the hurt. To forget." He shook his head. "Never could… didn't even have the strength to face your mother." He took a deep breath. "I wanted to die, wanted to end everything… but your voice kept coming back to me. Your disapproval. You'd always kept me in line…"

Rose felt her consciousness bubble up to the surface. How long had she been out? How long had The Doctor been cradling her in that quiet village alleyway? Rose looked up into The Doctor's grief-stricken face, whether or not he believed her to be who she said she was, the words he had spoken had truly needed to get out of him. She reached her hand up tenderly to touch his cheek.

"You've found your way back to me." She heard herself say, without so much as a thought.

"Yeah…" The Doctor squeezed her tight to him. "Perhaps you were wrong about the Universe not wanting us to be together…" They sat quietly in each other's embrace for a few moments. Digesting everything that was happening. The Doctor looked up into the blue sky thoughtfully. "If this isn't real I'm going to be dead chuffed." Rose pulled away from him and looked over his face.

"Surely you've got something in the TARDIS to prove I'm me? Some clever alien device that'll settle your doubts?" Rose turned to look at the police box that had been watching over the whole scene. The Doctor followed her gaze and nodded. He hesitated to unlock the door, but his hesitation was more to do with discovering the truth. There was still a good chance she wasn't who she said she was, but he wouldn't be able to take the pain again. He looked at her, then at the key he held in his hand. There was no possible way anyone would have that key, it burned with her. He slid it into the lock, and it turned with ease. He let out a breath of relief, her first test was passed… but there was still a chance.

Rose stepped into the TARDIS and let the magic of the moment take over. She never thought she would see it again. Definitely not with her Doctor as he was. It was almost as if she was stepping back in time, ironically opposite to how it usually worked. Everything was the same, the patched-up console, the coral, the emerald light of the shaft. She couldn't help herself but grin. The Doctor was already hurriedly making his way deeper into the TARDIS, not really giving Rose her full moment. It was fair though, they had to be sure. She sped after him as he made his way to the medical room. It was as suspect as she remembered. Bits of human and alien hospital junk was scattered everywhere, some old and beaten, some new, and some Frankensteined together. He gestured to the worn out dentist chair in the center of the room and Rose debated its level of sanitation.

"What are you going to do?" Rose asked as she climbed into the chair. The Doctor was sorting through various tools and danced about like he always did. Rose bit her lip and hoped she was right about faithfully believing he was The Doctor from another Universe. Hopefully a very similar Universe. The Doctor spun around, he'd placed a comedic head mirror over his brow and gave her a wink. Despite herself, Rose laughed.

"Just a little DNA sample." He said as he held up a tube.

"If you think I'm going in that…" Rose began but The Doctor shook his head.

"Saliva works just fine." Rose nodded and accepted the tube from his outstretched hand. She spit into it then handed it back with a quick wipe to her mouth. "Charming." The Doctor smiled as he turned to place the tube into a machine that looked very much like a microwave. He typed a few things into a nearby computer then turned to look at Rose once more. He crossed his arms as he observed her. "Alternate Universes…" He mused. Rose shrugged.

"Doctor," Rose said after a few minutes of silence had passed. "Forgive me, but I'd like to do a test of my own." The Doctor's brows raised in mild disbelief. His eyes darted around the room to suggest it was obvious he was who he claimed, but Rose ignored him. "What was the first thing you ever said to me?" She sat up and leaned forward as she waited for his answer. She remembered when he'd regenerated, it was enough evidence for her then. The Doctor nodded and leaned in. Their faces only a short distance apart. Rose gulped.

"Henrick's. Underground. Surrounded by shop dummies. I took your hand, you looked at me, and I said 'run'." Rose smiled and he returned it. Not only was he The Doctor, but they'd had the same beginnings. The Universes deviated at the Bad Wolf timeline. That was a relief. Rose leaned back in the chair as the machine dinged as a microwave would. Rose frowned and began to wonder if it was actually a microwave. The Doctor turned and looked at the screen, information scrolled by, thousands of words per second. The Doctor nodded as he took everything in, his hand poised over his mouth thoughtfully.

"And?" Rose asked impatiently. "Am I the same?" The Doctor turned, his face blank. Rose began to feel anxious, she wondered if the Rose in the other universe had different genetics. Then The Doctor broke out into a smile.

"Exactly the same." He opened his arms and Rose leaped from the chair to embrace him in a hug. "Can't believe it." The Doctor mumbled into her hair. Rose pulled back to observe him.

"We've got another shot at this, Doctor. You and me." The Doctor just grinned at her. "Whole new Universe for both of us to discover."

"I may not know anything!" The Doctor said excitedly.

"Not sure that's a change." Rose jabbed and gave him a cheeky grin with a little peek of tongue sticking out. He'd missed that look, so much so, that he didn't bother to retort.

"Welcome home, Rose Tyler."

For the first time in years, Rose truly felt like she'd finally come home. Let the damaged flower wilting away in a sad and dark little flat in London die there. Rose Tyler was to be reborn, just the way she'd been twelve years ago… only, with a little age behind her.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lights go out over my town  
Back to the midnight oasis with you  
Saving the world that's tough but let's give it a shot  
'Til you tell me game over  
Feel this chaotic connection with you

Adjusting to life on the TARDIS had been harder than Rose expected. Maybe even harder than the first time. She wanted it to be as it had been before like nothing had changed, but that isn't how reality works. Each time she'd awake in that bed she'd wake in terror, assuming she'd dreamt everything, and a slow settling relief would eventually come. The room itself was full of so many memories, so many ways for her to lose herself. Her old bedroom had been a shock. Preserved exactly the way it had been when back before the Doctor regenerated. Missing were the trinkets and photos from her adventures with his other form. Instead were the old pictures, some of Mickey and some of Jackie. One awkward photo of The Doctor as he appeared to her now, several photos of Captain Jack…

Rose found herself thinking about Jack a lot too. Things had been so dreamy in that blissful time after he'd joined them, and before he'd left them. They had formed the perfect team. He and The Doctor were her best mates in the Universe… that still remained true. She left Jack's pictures up but removed all but one of Mickey. They'd grown so far apart, emotionally and physically as she hadn't seen him in nearly a decade. He was no longer the man he had been, but then again, neither was she. One picture to remind her of his charming childlike days was all she needed. The rest of her room was just a pigsty. After living a minimal existence as a fully realized adult, the chaos of her former teenaged life was overwhelming.

It wasn't just the room that had been hard to deal with or the memories it held, The Doctor too was another issue. Not for a second had she doubted accepting his offer to travel again, but she never realized what that might mean. When she first met the Doctor he was a wounded survivor of a brutal war, she'd worked very hard to heal him. Now all her work had come undone. He was worse than he'd ever been before. Wounded to be sure, but something more… a serious change that caused her a general feeling of uneasiness. Sure, he had his moments where he became himself again, but mostly he was a sulky loner character. Perhaps it seemed that way because she was comparing him with his regenerated personality. He had been very cheery and bouncy, maybe she just got used to that change in him.

No, he was changed. Rose was sure of it. It seemed now he was dealing with a whole new PTSD aside from his original trauma. The loss of Rose from his Universe, as he had said, was devastating for him. Even with her back, it seemed like he was terrified to make a connection with her. Like if he got too close again he'd lose her. Rose wondered if he regretted taking her along again, maybe it was too painful for him. There was something a little unhinged about him now like the curtain had been pulled back on his cool, clever and controlled character revealing a scared, mentally deranged man left behind.

At first, they were both so giddy at the idea of being reunited that The Doctor had instantly set a course for anywhere of Rose's choosing. With only a few moments thought, Rose had chosen Woman Wept. Perhaps they could keep the good nostalgia vibes going with a little trip to somewhere lovely. A place where they had shared one of their first real tender moments. They had gone there the first time just after Rose had nearly ended the world by rescuing her father, and subsequently held his dying body in her arms. The Doctor, despite his disappointment and anger with her, had been extremely understanding. Rose could see that clearly now. He didn't have to take her there, he knew the risks, but he did it anyway. For the love of Rose.

When she was faced with the consequences of her selfish act, The Doctor tried to spare her the harsh lesson. Afterward, he held her weeping body in his arms for endless hours. That was probably what lead him to the idea of going to Woman Wept in the first place. The frozen ocean had provided comfort and reflection for Rose. She would be changed forever. No longer a selfish teenage girl, but a woman who understood the weight of her actions against the fabric of time. Perhaps The Doctor had planned it that way all along… he was always trying to teach her things… she'd thought a lot about the whole experience in the last decade.

This time, on Woman Wept the emotional charge in the air between them was different. What once had been quiet contemplation and solace in an intimate embrace, was now an awkward staleness in the air. The Doctor was distant and aloof, which in turn made Rose anxious and uncomfortable. Perhaps thinking about those times and weighing them against the distance and time between them only made it more awkward. When they returned to the TARDIS The Doctor had promptly disappeared into the depths leaving Rose with a hundred questions and doubts.

Several days later, Rose wandered the halls of the TARDIS as she contemplated what her best plan would be. She was tired of sitting around by herself hoping The Doctor would come around. There had to be a reason they were reunited, and she had to believe it was to heal him as she'd done before. To make things just as they had been. He was far too important to waste his time sulking about. He would be a harder nut to crack this time around, but she had faith in her mission. It was all she could really do. She'd become so used to throwing everything into a case to avoid problems, this would be her new purpose. The perfect distraction from her own unhinged personality.

Rose eventually found him in a nondescript room filled with piles of mechanical junk. He had left the door open, and Rose could only assume the TARDIS was on her side. Quietly, she stepped into the room and observed him as he tinkered with some large hunk of metal that looked sort of like a car engine. His coat was hanging nearby, and his jumper sleeves were rolled up. Rose cleared her throat and he looked up at her, his face and hands smudged with oil.

"Oh, you're up." He smiled before turning back to the engine.

"I was never asleep…" Rose walked over to him and knelt by his side. "Funny thing that," She smiled weakly. "I learned to live on a lot less sleep… I often wondered if that's how you lived." He didn't respond. "Doctor, I've been here for three days… we've done nothing but sit here." He didn't react. "This isn't like you, you're normally itching to go somewhere." A bit of silence passed. Rose stared at the back of his head a little while longer before she sighed and stood up to leave. Maybe tomorrow…

"Wait." He said exhaustedly. He set down his spanner and turned his body to face her. Rose turned on her heel. "Sorry." He offered. "I know this wasn't what you were expecting." Rose didn't answer. "I want to switch it on for you, be like it was, excitement and danger… always danger… " He looked down and cleared his throat. "but I… don't really know what to do. I can't risk losing you again." Rose hurried forward to join him on the floor. He looked down shamefully and she forced his face up.

"We're all gonna die, that's just how it is," Rose said through glassy eyes. "There's no escaping our fate. Not even for you, Doctor." He forced his head from her hands to look back at the engine. "You can't live a shadow of a life until you expire. You have a gift, you save lives, you need to get out there and continue to do that!" He turned back to face her. "If you don't, no one else will." The Doctor gave her a little smile as he took her hands in his.

"You always tried to keep me in line…" Their eyes met. "Hard to believe it's been twelve years." He reached a hand up to stroke her face. A few small lines were there that hadn't been there before. Evidence that there was no escaping death, even if you played it safe.

"Yeah, well," Rose looked away bashfully. Ashamed of the age written on her face. "Less of an age gap now, anyway." The Doctor let out a little laugh. His hand dropped to his lap.

"It can't be the same, can it?" He said quietly.

"Not exactly," Rose admitted. "You can't go back." The irony of her words made The Doctor smile a little. "In many ways, it will be the same. Saving the world, running, exploring… we'll do what we've always done." She paused for a moment to consider her next words. "Only this time, I won't make the mistake of hiding how I feel." The Doctor looked at her with a puzzled expression. Rose had to build her courage, she knew how he felt. Even when he looked like this, she knew. Now there was nothing holding them back. "I'm thirty-two now, Doctor. I don't have time to mess about you know." Despite his expression, Rose grinned and pinched his cheek lightly. Her hand relaxed and cupped his cheek gently as she leaned in. Her heart raced faster and faster the closer she got. Her eyes looked into his piercing blue ones, they fluttered closed as lips hovered over lips. That was when The Doctor sprung to life, he closed the small gap between them and pulled Rose in for a passionate embrace. Two hearts pounded wildly against one. His kiss was firm and welcoming, a combination of pent up desires, sadness, and elation. It was a desperate kiss, a kiss that suggested it had been long overdue. Rose was overcome with emotions. Tears streamed from her eyes as her arms tightened around The Doctor's neck. Periodically, they gasped for breath, but neither one could stop the flow of passion once the lid was off the bottle.

"I'm sorry." The Doctor rushed out breathlessly between kisses.

"Shut it," Rose replied in equal distress. The Doctor ran his hands through her hair and along her jaw. If this were twelve years ago, Rose would only be daydreaming about doing this. It was a different story now, they'd both realized how fleeting their time could be together. But just as she thought things might go down right then and there amongst the greasy machine parts, The Doctor began to slow. Then he pulled away. His face was serious, thoughtful. Rose bit her lip. "What's wrong?"

"I know where we need to go." He said flatly. Then with a sudden start, he jumped to his feet as if nothing had happened. Rose blinked a few times in disbelief.

"What?" She jumped to her feet and spun around in time to watch him exit the room. "Now?" A little put-off, she ran after him. "Couldn't it wait an hour?" He didn't respond. "Alright, ten minutes- It's been a while." She confessed more to herself than to him. He was already in the control room. His laser focus was already switched on. "Where are we going, Doctor?" Rose asked exasperated. He looked up at her after pulling a lever and offered her a smile.

"I'm a clever man, Rose." He began as if he were starting in on a long lecture.

"Right…" Rose agreed carefully.

"A man as clever as I, has the answers for everything."

"Usually…"

"It's like you said, we're all gonna die. Only you, in time, much faster than I."

"Are we circling a point any time soon?" She crossed her arms in slight irritation.

"Maybe we can stop it." The look on his face was dangerous, his voice verging on manic. Determined. Crazed even. Rose dropped her arms limply.

"You've gone mad." She shook her head in disbelief. Part in jest, part a real fearful observation. "Just a bit light-headed from all the snogging, it was a lot at once. All the bloods gone from your head, you should sit down… Been a while for both of us, I'm sure." The Doctor shook his head and raised a hand. He used his other hand to push a few buttons and roll a wheel.

"No, Rose. I'm perfectly sane." He grinned and put his weight into another lever. "Push that button will you." Rose obeyed, though she doubted his sanity. The TARDIS jerked to life, the core pumping its familiar tune. "Reasonably sane." He corrected himself as he smacked the console with a mallet.

"Doctor, I don't want to live forever. What would happen when you die? I'd be stuck alone somewhere. what would I do?" Rose tried to reason carefully, not wanted to set him off further. The Doctor tapped on his chin for a second, then quickly held down three buttons after a particularly nasty lurch from the TARDIS. "Have you really thought this through?"

"I've never really thought anything through." He confessed as the TARDIS shuttered to a halt. He grinned and despite her annoyance, it warmed Rose's heart. He moved around the console to take her hand in his. "All I know is that I never want to lose you again." Despite the crazed desperation written all over his face, Rose felt her heart melt for him. Her sanity itching to slip away and mingle with his.

"Doctor," Rose sighed. "I appreciate the gesture. Really, I do…" The Doctor pulled his hands away and turned from her. "but what if you need to regenerate? Your personality does change… you may not feel the same. You could change into a girl for all I know!" The Doctor kept his back to her, he appeared to be biting his nail but Rose couldn't see him clearly. "I'm not saying I don't want to travel with you for as long as I can, or that I wouldn't love you no matter who you were, I'm not saying I want this to ever end, but it's the reality we're faced with. No one escapes time, not even you." He turned to look at her. His eyes soft and light.

"When did you get so wise?" He asked as he turned slowly to face her.

"Came with age I guess." She shrugged. He gave her a weak smile and she stepped forward to wrap him up in a hug. "You'll get tired of me in time anyway."

"Never." The Doctor breathed. They stood quietly for a while. Rose had her eyes closed as she enjoyed the feeling of the Doctor's hearts beating in her ears. The Doctor stared at the wall in front of him, a serious thoughtful gaze. A plan was forming, his eyes flicked down to the woman in his arms and he smiled. "You're right." He said quietly. "Eternal life isn't the answer…" Rose pulled herself from his chest to look up at him. "But what if I find a way to keep you just like this, at your choice." Rose furrowed her brow.

"I don't understand."

"We've seen it before," He began as he turned away from her and began to circle the console. "Humans alone have come up with enough technology to keep them going two or three hundred years!"

"Those humans we met back in caveman times?" Rose crinkled her nose. "They were chock full of pills and surgeries."

"Right, no good." He continued to pace about the room, his hands behind his back. Rose sighed and crossed her arms again. "There are other ways though…" He paused and turned to face Rose. "We've got all of time and space to find something…"

"Could be quite the adventure…" Rose nodded slowly.

"At worst, we've had a laugh trying to figure out." The Doctor grinned, feeling he was making progress in convincing her. "At best, a way to keep the good times rolling a little longer." He paused and looked back at Rose. She bit her lip as she considered what he was offering her.

"I hope you know what you're proposing here…" The Doctor grinned from ear to ear and rushed to her with childish glee. "I'm not having any surgeries or nothing so you better find a magic spell." She chided as he lifted her up into his arms and swung her around. "-and if you do turn into a woman… well…" Her feet touched the ground as she thought hard about her next words. "Well, I'll deal with that if it comes." She shrugged at last. The Doctor laughed.

"Fantastic!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The whole fic, but specifically the first two chapters, were inspired by the song Art3mis & Parzival by Gunship (From the movie Ready Player One, which I never saw but the jam is good. Spotify knows me.) So if you wanna really get in the mood while reading, I'll provide the songs that inspired me while writing at the end of each chapter.
> 
> And again, almost all chapters are posted on fanfiction.net so you can read ahead there.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I lie in wait with open eyes  
I carry on through stormy skies

The world they had landed on was neither new or particularly exciting to Rose. She had hoped that their first real adventure might be to some exciting new world, but instead he'd chosen Earth. Again. This time, medieval. Part of her was slightly relieved, at least it was somewhere, and at least it would be relatively predictable. The dark ages was a time that was often sad, filthy and full of sickness but as her first trip back in the saddle she was prepared to make the best of it. She took her time with the unpleasant task of finding a suitable outfit for the occasion, something that wouldn't make peasants scream 'witch!'. She hated playing the dress up game, but she recalled how fond The Doctor was of her doing so when he wore this face. Rose opted for a basic poor girl look, partly because it would draw less attention, but also because it was far less layers. If she had to do it, she was going to do it practically. Not the usual uncomfortable frills The Doctor no-doubt had a hand in selecting for her.

The Doctor, of course, remained in his usual attire. He was standing on the wet grass of the hill they'd been parked on and Rose was suddenly reminded of another time with another version of The Doctor. A sad smile graced her lips. The Doctor released a few blades of grass into the wind, then turned when he heard Rose shuffle through the grass towards him. He looked her up and down but made no comment, his face turned and looked on into the cloudy sky.

"What made you think the secret to youth would be here?" Rose looked out over the vast grassy fields. The Doctor turned to look at her, he silently admired the wisps of hair that blew across her face, then he looked out to the horizon once more.

"The Holy Grail."

"You're joking." Rose turned her head sharply to look at him. "They're just stories, Doctor, not historical fact."

"You're telling me what's historical facts or not? That's a laugh." Rose hadn't really missed the condescending sass. "The grail really existed," The Doctor began, his tone more serious. "But it was not what you'd think." He turned and gave her a wink, then began to walk down the hill. Rose just stared at his retreating form, she knew he was just waiting for her to take the bait and ask him to clarify, she hated giving him the satisfaction.

"You're saying it's alien?" She offered instead and she ran to catch up with him. He looked over his shoulder for a second but kept moving forward.

"Yeah." He confirmed. "It's space junk. My theory is that it's a bit of debris from the Time War. It's the only possible conclusion for the effects described."

"The Time War?" Now Rose was interested. "It's a piece of someone's ship?"

"Could be." The Doctor shrugged. A village was coming into view, small with only a dozen houses along a muddy path. "It fell to Earth in the year Four-hundred and seventy-two, AD. I suppose, looking a little like a bowl of some sort the locals decided to drink and eat from it. Despite not having much to eat, they felt full. A miracle of the grail! Next thing you know, seems like whoever's been using the bowl has stopped aging." He looked back at Rose. "This is spanning several years, you understand." Rose nodded and he looked back ahead at the village. "Word spreads, they decided the space junk must be the cup that their Lord and Saviour drank from at The Last Supper. They build a temple around it in the mountains. Years later, it becomes a legend. Stories told by travelers and the elderly. King Arthur, being a bit of a fanciful lad, decides he's sending his knight squad out to recover it so he can stay young forever."

"Did they ever find it?" Rose asked.

"No." The Doctor replied. "Fool's errand. The temple had been so far gone by that point, even if they had located it they wouldn't know it was a temple they were looking at."

"Have you ever gone looking for it?" The Doctor's mouth firmed into a thin line.

"Never had a reason to," He replied. "Why dig up artifacts from a past that only spark painful memories?" Rose nodded sadly.

"So why are we heading to this village? Wouldn't it be better to just go to the temple?"

"It would, but I'm not sure where it is myself… new Universe and all." Rose frowned in response to The Doctor's cheeky grin. "What? You wanted adventure!" Rose rolled her eyes.

"Doctor, how can we even be sure this Universe has something like that?" He shrugged in response.

"That's half the adventure right there." He offered. Rose let out a loud sigh and looked down into the village.

There was a woman by a small hut doing laundry by hand and a few small children running about. Further on there were a couple of young women plucking a bird and talking cheerily to each other. Beyond that, she could see a man plowing a distant field with a single horse while four men picked rocks. It was quaint and picturesque. The kind of scene you were happy to see stepping from the TARDIS, no monsters, no aliens. Just people doing their everyday thing, never realizing they were part of a much bigger picture. It was probably the most rewarding part of time and space travel.

The woman doing her washing tilted her head up to wipe the sweat from her brow, and just as she did so, she caught a glimpse of Rose and The Doctor heading straight for her. Her eyes widened at the look of them, she quickly dried her hands on her apron pulled back any wisps of hair from her face as if she were being approached by someone of importance. Her two children were dueling with sticks just to the side and Rose found herself smiling at their charming role-play. Dreaming of being great knights no doubt, much like the lads of her time dreamt of being great athletes. Some things were just hard-wired in.

"Hello!" The Doctor said in a chipper tone. The woman jumped to her feet and bowed.

"Good afternoon, sir, miss." She smiled. Then she turned to her two boys who were making a fuss of a mock death. "Hush now!" She hissed at them with a venom that reminded Rose of her own mother's wrath. She turned back to the strangers and smiled sweetly once more. "What brings you fine travelers to our humble village?"

"On a quest." The Doctor answered simply. The woman looked impressed but not surprised.

"I knew. I knew just by the look of you." She nodded. Rose gave The Doctor a nudge and eyed his jacket with an 'I've warned you about this before' look. "You must be a wizard." She grinned. The Doctor pulled a face that looked like he was about to correct her, but Rose quickly cut in.

"Yes, good eye." She beamed as she felt The Doctor's look of mild surprise. The woman also beamed, feeling proud of herself for whatever reason. "They call him, The Doctor," Rose said with an edge of whimsy. The woman looked more impressed than she had before.

"And this is my wench, Rose Tyler." He tossed a thumb back at her with a satisfied grin. "Carries me cauldron and whatever else." The woman nodded in understanding, obviously ignoring the look of offense mixed with amusement Rose was flashing The Doctor.

"So what be this quest, then? Anything we can do?" The woman turned and hissed at the boys once more who had resumed in making noise just beside them. "You must stay for a meal, surely traveling on foot you haven't eaten in days!" Rose and The Doctor exchanged glances but the woman was already hurrying towards the hut. "Boys, run up to the field and tell your father. Make sure you all stop by the creek and have a wash." She gave them both a pat on the bottom and they scurried off. "Come along then, Doctor, Rose." The two began to follow her towards the entrance of the hut. "You can tell us all about your travels tonight with a cup of ale to quench your thirst." The hut was dark inside, there was no more than a fireplace, a few wooden pieces of furniture, and an opening to another room that was covered in a cloth. Presumably the sleeping area. The woman puttered around the kitchen and muttered to herself as she gathered various things. "A wizard… all my days… I'll have to have the whole village over… roll in the barrel…"

"Ehm, sorry," Rose cut in politely. "We never caught your name?" The woman spun around on her heel with a potato in hand.

"Oh, bless!" She laughed at herself. "Margery, the boys were Henry and Peter. My husbands Thomas." Rose smiled and nodded at the amount of information hurled at her. Margery was a very likable woman in her eyes, much akin to her own mother. She could imagine Jackie buzzing about her own kitchen babbling on about special guests and inviting the neighbours for drinks and the like.

"Has anyone else been through here on quests recently? Last few years?" The Doctor asked as he absentmindedly inspected a crudely carved horse he'd found on the table.

"Loads," Margery confessed while busily working through a stack of root vegetables. "Searching for that grail, they were. Some freelancers, some knights… big waste of our tax dollars if you ask me."

"You don't believe in the Holy Grail?" Rose asked as she came up beside the older woman to offer a hand. Without a word, Margery accepted and handed her a large potato.

"Not so much anymore… bigger things to think about." She mumbled the last bit as she reached for a large beet. "I'm just relieved to see you lot come in, a wizard is truly what we needed." She turned to look at The Doctor but he was no longer in the house. Margery made a squeak of surprise and Rose turned to look as well. "Where's he gone?"

"Oh, Wizards." Rose sighed. "What can you do?" Margery observed Rose's calm demeanor and decided this was all par for the course. Smiling to herself, Rose began to feel at ease. Everything was falling back into place.

Outside, The Doctor walked casually down the muddy center of the small village. His hands were clasped behind his back thoughtfully and he looked up at the sky as if there would be a great arrow there to point him in the direction he sought. The two women plucking the bird stared wide-eyed and quietly at him while their fingers blindly pulled at soft white feathers. They were both relatively young, late teens to early twenties. One was pregnant, and very near to term.

"You the wizard then?" The younger, pregnant girl asked. The Doctor, half startled that they were there, spun sharply to look at them. The girls blushed and lowered their heads. "The boys… they were on fire to tell everyone." The girl confessed.

"Wizard. That's me." The Doctor nodded as he casually made his way over to them. He inspected the bird in their combined hands and noted that it was a large pheasant. "Tough work there." The girls giggled to each other.

"Tough?" The older one asked. "Oh, pardon sir, you must have someone do all the plucking for you?"

"Yeah." The Doctor confessed. He then looked around the village again. "Seems more houses than people here…" The amused expressions of the girls quickly faded away and turned to ones of grief.

"There were more of us." The older one said, her eyes focused on the small hard bits caught in the skin of the bird. "Houses too."

"What happened?" The question caused both girls to jerk their heads up in confusion.

"How do you mean?" The younger girl asked.

"What do you think happened?" The older one scoffed, forgetting herself. "Burnt up." The Doctor's eyebrows raised in mild surprise at her words.

Back in the Kitchen, Rose assisted Margery in placing the cauldron on the hearth. The mountain of vegetables was then tossed into the massive pot unceremoniously. Margery wiped her hands on her apron and gave a big sigh of content.

"That's that. Best to finish the washing." She clapped her hands together as if it made her statement a command. "You best find that Wizard of yours, I'd hate for him to wander off and that damned dragon show up." Rose felt her body go rigid. She must have heard her wrong, it wasn't possible.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She felt stupid for asking, it couldn't have possibly been what Margery meant.

"I was saying you best find that Wizard," Margery repeated. "With the way our lucks been going, I wouldn't be surprised if the whole place burnt to the ground while he was taking a dip by the river." She laughed at herself but it was a sort of anxious laugh, then she turned to make for the door. Rose was about to ask her to clarify again when a thunderous sound caught her off guard. Was it thunder? "Good Lord!" Margery gasped and clasped her mouth. "I should cut out my tongue!" She hollered as she charged out of the house, both hands pulling up the bottom of her dress.

The two young women screamed as the source of the mighty sound came into view. The Doctor spun around to witness a massive beast cresting over the hill he and Rose had walked down earlier. He didn't try to hide the surprise in his eyes as what appeared to be a dragon twice the size of a jumbo jet passed over their heads. The roar that emitted from it was so powerful that it shook the earth and rattled the brain. It felt almost like when lightning strikes the ground very near to you, it shakes you to your core in a way nothing else could. Margery had burst from her hut and made her way towards the fields where her boys had gone to fetch her husband. Rose came out next, her eyes locked on the sky, then lowered and locked on The Doctors. She attempted to run to him but another roar made her stumble and fall into the mud.

"How is this possible?" Rose hollered from the ground as the two young women ran into the hut they'd been sitting in front of. The Doctor watched as the dragon let out a burst of fire into the sky triumphantly. Rose managed to pull herself up from the ground and made her way to The Doctor's side. "Well?" She hollered again over the sound of massive wings beating the air.

"It's not!" The Doctor shook his head. "Dragons never existed…" He looked down at her as if studying her face to find the answer. "At least not in my Universe." Another roar caused Rose to grasp on to The Doctor's leather jacket for support, he didn't seem to notice as he watched the dragon do another pass.

"I guess in this one there are…" Rose stated. "So how the hell do we stop it?" The Doctor jerked his head down again to look at her.

"Why do we need to stop it?" Rose looked at him with disbelief. "In this world, it's just an animal, a carnivore, like a lion or a shark…"

"Who are you now, David Attenborough?" Rose cried. "It's killing them!"

"Rose, it's the circle of life! Who are we to interfere?" The dragon let out another burst of fire that took out a couple of goats running across a distant field. Rose gulped, her grip absentmindedly tightened on the leather between her fingers.

"And what if it's me? What if I get roasted for that thing's supper?"

"Don't" The Doctor warned. "Don't do that."

"It's a likely scenario, Doctor." She boldly locked onto his eyes with a confidence she had to fake. The Doctor looked pained, conflicted by his moral code and his care for her safety. It was a low blow, Rose knew it, but she couldn't sit there and watch Margery and her family burnt to a crisp. The Doctor pursed his lips and pulled himself away from Rose. He broke into one of his thoughtful rants.

"There must be another way…" He began as he started to pace. His words were coming out quickly and Rose could only catch a word or two as they passed by her ears at lightning speed. "Legends…. facts… shield… temporary… TARDIS…." At the sound of galloping hooves, Rose turned to see Margery and her family riding swiftly into the village with her family. "That's it!" The Doctor snapped his fingers and ran towards the horse.

"Doctor, you must help us!" Margery cried as she squeezed her two boys tighter to her.

"I will, but you're going to have to trust me." He took one of the boys and set him on the ground.

"Wizard, if there is anything I can do to aid you-" Margery's husband, Thomas began but The Doctor interrupted him by shooing him off his own horse.

"The best thing you can do is get inside with your family." The Doctor then climbed onto the horse. "I will borrow this horse though, left something very useful back over the hill where we last camped."

"You can't ride out there!" Thomas gasped. "It's suicide!"

"It's the only plan I've got." The Doctor looked on at the hill with a determined stare. "It'll work." He nodded, then he turned to look at Rose. "I need you to stay here."

"Like hell!" Rose frowned and made to climb onto the horse. The Doctor held his hand out to block her by placing it against her face.

"Don't be stubborn, you're not coming!" His voice was commanding. This was The Doctor she knew. Rose ripped the hand away with mild embarrassment.

"Don't do anything stupid." She warned him. He gave her a little smile, but it didn't make her feel any better.

"Too late for that." He stated as he kicked his heels in and the horse took off. Rose crossed her arms as she watched him ride through the center of the village and into the long grass. A gentle hand touched her shoulder and she turned to meet the soft matronly face of Margery.

"Come along dear…" She said softly. Rose stared at her blankly for a moment, as if she hadn't heard her at all. Another roar shook her back to reality and she jerked her head up to see the dragon making a wide turn over the distant fields. He was making his way back, he'd surely see the Doctor. Rose furrowed her brow, she had spent the last ten years turning herself into a machine ready for crisis action. She had mastered switching off everything in her mind but the drive for success and survival. She wasn't a damsel in distress anymore, she was the defender of the Earth. Without a second thought, Rose ran into the nearest house at lightning speed.

"Bed sheets!" She yelled at the two young women huddled in the corner. "I need your bedsheets!" The girls seemed too terrified to respond, so Rose charged into what she assumed was the bedroom to look for herself. There she found a modest bed in a tiny room. She charged over and stripped away a sort of pale coloured sheet from under whatever pelt was lying across the top. She wrapped it up quickly into a ball and ran back out of the hut.

"What are you doing!" Thomas hollered after her as she charged toward the direction of the dragon.

"Can't just let him die!" She hollered back as she charged forward. A small movement caught her eye, a goat tied to a steak in the ground. With quick thinking she untied the creature and tied the sheet to it as if it were a cape, then she dragged it out from between the houses.

"No!" Thomas cried. "That's our last goat!"

"I'll get you a new one!" Rose groaned as she pulled hard at the rope around the goat's neck. She lead it just past the last house, the dragon was making its fast approach. She quickly circled behind the goat and slapped it hard on the arse to get it moving. It took a single step forward. "Didn't expect that." She grumbled. The dragon roared, and Rose looked back at the horse carrying The Doctor just up the hill. He was so close, he just needed a few minutes. A second roar spooked the goat into a run, Rose cheered as it darted across the field with its cape flapping like a wounded bird in the wind. The dragons head jerked as it spotted the bedsheet. It swooped gracefully to the left. Rose looked back to see The Doctor had gone from her site. He'd make it.

A pang of sadness filled Rose as the dragon let go a burst of flames that engulfed the goat in one quick flash. The dragon stooped low and scooped up the flaming carcass with its front teeth. It playfully tossed the tiny shape into the air and caught it in its gaped mouth. Better it than The Doctor, Rose thought. Her relief was soon shaken by the circling of the dragon once more. It was preparing to make another swoop of the village, it hadn't reached its fill.

"In here!" A tiny voice called from the nearest house. Rose ran towards it and slipped into the door while looking back at the winged beast. Once inside, she turned to thank whoever had beckoned to her. The only one in the room was a little girl. "That was clever, using the goat!" The little girl smiled as she peaked out the rag covered window.

"Thanks." Rose breathed. She joined the little girl at the window and watched as the dragon turned to make his pass again. "Whatever The Doctor plans on doing, he better get on it quick," Rose muttered.

"Is that the wizard?" The girl asked just below her.

"Yeah." Rose nodded, her eyes locked on the beast.

"Never met a wizard before, but they say they can do all kinds of things. Even stop dragons." Rose pursed her lips, at that moment she really wished The Doctor had been a wizard. "I'm Joan, by the way." Rose pulled back to take a better look at the girl. She couldn't have been more than eight.

"Rose." She offered a smile. "Where are your parents?" The girl looked away anxiously and then turned to look back out the window.

"Dragon." Was all she said. Rose nodded, there was no need to pry further.

The two of them watched with bated breath as the dragon neared the village once again. Its eyes seemed to be locked onto them. It bellowed a wild roar that caused Rose to grasp onto the little girl in instinct. The closer the beast got, the closer Rose held her. She silently prayed for The Doctor to get on with whatever he was planning, there wasn't much else that thing could set on fire. Nearer and nearer, Rose squeezed her eyes shut as the dragon opened its mouth and a warm, burning light began to grow at the base of its throat. The flame began to emerge, almost as if in slow motion. Joans eyes were wide, unafraid of the death that was sure to come, just awe-struck by the beauty of the flame. Only… the flame never came any closer. It seemed to stop short, and then suddenly, the dragon seemed to smash into something. Like a bird against glass. It felt like an earth quake.

"Woah!" Joan cried in excitement as they both tumbled backward.

"Cutting it close." Rose sighed quietly to herself. Then she smiled. The Doctor was an absolute genius.

It seemed every remaining villager had been watching when the dragon bounced off The Doctor's shield because they'd all come out of hiding to cheer. Rose smiled and watched the dragon circle high above in confusion. Joan held her hand and watched as well, her little face full of wonder.

"Oh, he's truly done it!" Margery cried happily as she squeezed Rose around the middle from behind. "He's saved us!" Rose spun around and grinned at the teary-eyed woman. "It's ale tonight for sure!" She sang, then turned to Thomas and smacked him in the belly lightly. "Fetch the barrels, we'll need two tonight no doubt!" Rose laughed. The Doctor wouldn't want to stick around for the festivities, it wasn't his style, but a part of her wondered what their next move would be. They hadn't actually learned anything about the grail, would he still want to look for it?

"There he is!" Rose turned to see The Doctor riding back with great speed, she couldn't help herself but smile at the image. Like a true knight in shining armor, her heart swelled a little at how silly the thought was. He was a middle-aged looking man in leather on a busted old work horse, not some prince on a noble steed. The villagers moved swiftly out of his path as he came to a rough stop next to Rose. She beamed up at him but he wasn't smiling, he looked focused. He swung his leg over and jumped off.

"Thanks for the ride." He nodded at Thomas then turned to Rose. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Rose nodded. Then she looked back up at the dragon circling. "Will this last?" Her eyes fell back down to his as he shook his head.

"No, just a temporary solution." His voice was quiet, he didn't want anyone to hear. "the second we leave, the forcefield is gone." Rose nodded.

"What now?" The Doctor was about to respond but Margery swept in and offered him the same massive hug she'd given Rose. He let out an uncomfortable sound as he attempted to escape her grasp.

"Clever man!" She congratulated him. "You'll get the leg tonight!" She winked, and The Doctor looked half shocked and half confused at Rose. Margery laughed and elbowed him in the gut, provoking an awkward sound. "Of the bird, not the girl." Rose covered her mouth to hide her amusement at his confusion. "Aye, men." Margery sighed and offered Rose a wink. "Even the clever ones." She threw her hands in the air to dismiss the whole interaction then turned towards the hut. "Come along, you two. Don't even think about sneaking out of here without a victory supper." The Doctor made to protest but Rose linked him by the arm and pulled him forward towards the hut. He looked down at her in disapproval.

"Sometimes, Doctor, you have to take a second to enjoy the victories instead of always mourning the losses."

\----

Later that night, after the meal had been thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in the village, the group sat quietly around the hearth. In total, there were only eleven villagers remaining but despite their small numbers, the volume of their merriment was that of an entire country. The fire crackled softly and cast a warm glow throughout the already warm room. Smiling faces and ail were abundant in the tiny cottage, and all the kind words were thrust upon an unreceptive anxious and stoic character. The Doctor had been patient with the whole ordeal, and now sat quietly listening to Thomas talk about the village in its hay-day. It was good for him, Rose thought, to take a moment and see the good he'd done.

Beyond that, Rose had found herself a little shadow in Joan who had begged Rose to braid her hair as she'd braided her own. Rose obliged and was halfway through the French-braid when the young pregnant woman took a seat next to her. Rose gave her a quick glance and a smile, her eyes then fell on the large swollen belly that looked about ready to burst. The young woman rested her hand on it.

"Ah, just about done with this life, I can tell you that much." She laughed a breathy laugh and Rose smiled in response. "You have any children?" Rose shook her head. "Shame, you seem such a natural." She gestured her chin forward at Joan who had her eyes fixed on the burning embers. The younger woman leaned back against the wall of the hut and let out a big breath of air.

"Is it… Difficult?" Rose asked shyly, not daring to look at the woman.

"What?" The girl asked plainly. "Being pregnant?" She let out another breathy laugh. "Yeah, but you never let the men know." She gave Rose a little wink. Then she looked a little sad and stared into the fire. "This'll be my third child…" She mused. Rose turned to look at her, she couldn't have been more than eighteen but she spoke like someone her age. "Lost them all to the dragon, y'see."

"I'm so sorry." Rose offered quietly. The girl shrugged.

"If it's not a dragon it's illness, starvation, raiders…" She held her hand up and twirled it around to suggest there was more she didn't need to mention. "Just life." Rose nodded and looked back at the braid she had just finished. What a time, to live so honestly and so purely for today. Life was harsh and cruel but they accepted it because they had no choice. No wonder legends like that of the Grail got around. "I've never seen a wizard before." The girl commented suddenly, her head was tilted to the side as she examined The Doctor across the room. He was asking another man questions about the monarch. Comparing his knowledge of Earth's history with the history of this new Universe. "I always imagined they'd look withered and ancient… long beards and the like."

"Looks can be deceiving," Rose whispered with an air of mystery. "Truthfully, he's nine-hundred years old." The woman's eyes widened as she stared over at The Doctor.

"No!" She whispered back, turning to inspect Rose for any trickery.

"Magic." Rose shrugged. The girl turned back to look at The Doctor again.

"Incredible." She breathed. "I wonder if he has the Holy Grail." Rose turned to look at her.

"No, it's a special sort of magic… Only works on himself." She leaned in lowered her voice even further. "Between you and I, The Doctor is on a desperate search to recover the Grail."

"But why? He's already got eternal youth."

"Well… I shouldn't really say… it's rather personal but…" She bit her lip a little. "Just between us girls, you know?" The woman nodded fiercely, desperate for whatever juicy information was going to come her way. Girls were girls no matter the decade. "The Doctor is madly in love with me…"

"Not really a shocker." The girl seemed a bit disappointed, expecting a lot more obviously. Rose looked back at The Doctor who didn't seem to notice her at all, then she looked back at the woman.

"He has eternal youth, but my time is fleeting. In fact…" Rose paused as she tried to come up with something. "I have a serious illness." The woman leaned away suddenly. "No, not contagious. Something I was born with, y'see. I only have a few months to live. He's searching for the Grail so he can save me." The woman's hand shot up to her heart and she let out a soft gasp.

"How romantic." She breathed. Rose nodded in agreement.

"We've all but given up, though." She gave a fake sigh. "We've traveled so far, for so long… my time is almost up." She looked on at the fire. The woman bit her lip and looked around the room briefly before leaning into Rose.

"What if I told you…" Rose turned her head slowly to look at the woman as she spoke. "That the temple for the grail is very close." Rose could feel her heart flutter, but she didn't let her face betray her. She just gave a wide-eyed look in response.

"What are you saying?"

"The only reason this village exists is because our grandfather's and so on built that temple years back. We were sworn to secrecy. If anyone came we were to deter them. Otherwise, Devine punishment." She looked up to make her point clear. Then she shrugged. "But, it's been so long. Someone has surely found it by now. A lot of us think the dragon was our Devine punishment because someone talked." Rose nodded her head in understanding.

"Have you gone to it?" She asked. "To check if it's still there?"

"Oh, no." The woman looked scandalized. "We can't go there. We'd surely be struck down by the hand of God itself."

"But you just said-?"

"It might not be there, but it also might." She shook her head and leaned back. "I'm not taking that risk… but your wizard," She held up a thoughtful finger. "He could be clever enough…" Rose looked back over at The Doctor who was staring at her with an intensity that made her shiver.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I follow every course  
My kingdom for a rose

"Thank you for everything, the stew was delicious." Rose was standing at the entrance to the tiny house with Margery as the other villagers left to head to their own homes for the night. The Doctor was standing in the long grass by himself and looking up at the sky. The dragon had long since moved on, there was nothing left but a perfectly speckled starry night.

"Where will you go now?" Margery asked with a soft smile.

"Not sure…" Rose shrugged and glanced back at The Doctor with a hint of admiration. "Wherever he decides." She looked back at Margery and there was a look of sympathy there. The older woman lifted her hand and touched Rose on the cheek softly.

"Well, wherever that is, be careful." Rose nodded and held Margery's hand tightly in her own for a second. An understanding and appreciation passed between them, and then with a turn, the moment was gone. Rose walked silently towards The Doctor. She watched his head drop down from its inclined position to observe the hill before them as she reached his side. They walked forward towards the hill.

"So what now?" Rose asked quietly. She linked her arm with his and leaned into his shoulder.

"In the morning, we head over to that temple." He stated. Rose frowned and pulled her head up to look at him.

"Eavesdropper."

"I can't help that my hearing is more advanced than your species'." The Doctor shrugged.

"That was a private conversation."

"Obviously." The Doctor agreed and Rose watched him carefully. He said nothing more about it.

"So are we going to sleep in the TARDIS for the night then?" Rose asked as she looked up at the starry sky.

"Could do," The Doctor shrugged casually. "Or, we could stay out here. Under the stars?" Rose looked up at him with a big grin. It was as if he read her mind. The air was warm, the sky was lovely, it was a perfect night for star gazing. The butterflies of a teenager began to flutter in Rose's stomach, a feeling so foreign to her now.

They climbed over the hill and onward towards the TARDIS. Light shone from its small windows making it easier to locate in the dark. The Doctor stopped a short distance away and plopped himself down into the grass without warning. Rose did the same after a quick look around for anything that might be wet or sticky. With a big sigh, they both leaned back onto their backs and looked up at the sky. The Doctor had his arms pulled back behind his head, and Rose rested her hands on her stomach. They just lay quietly for some time, like two awkward youths on their first date ever. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but rather a perfect silence. One filled with crickets and the rustling of grass in a light breeze.

"This version of you was always such a romantic." Rose smiled. Her voice was soft in the night air. The silence came again. The Doctor furrowed his brow as if searching for the right thing to say.

"Was I… ehm." The Doctor cleared his throat. "Was I good to you?" He asked cautiously. Rose turned her head and saw a little strain in The Doctor's face. "Afterward, I mean." He was struggling. "Regeneration is a bit of a lottery… A lot can change." Rose nodded in agreement.

"You were." She confirmed. "I wouldn't have stayed with you if you weren't." There was another long silence. Rose wondered if that was really what he meant by that question, so she rethought her answer. "You were definitely different." She said at last. The Doctor turned his head to look at her.

"Good or bad?"

"Just different." Rose shrugged. "You became silly and bouncy and… I don't know." She moved her hands around awkwardly in search of a word. "This you was, is a darker character. A little reserved with moments of sass and cheek. Stand-offish but heavily romantic."

"You keep saying romantic," The Doctor said with slight offense.

"Yeah, like… secretly." She gave him a cheeky grin with her tongue poking playfully through her teeth. He huffed at that and pulled his arms down to cross them over his chest. Rose rolled onto her side and propped her head up with one arm.

"You're still the same, though." She smiled. The Doctor relaxed a little. "Look wise…" Rose raised her eyebrows and looked to the side as if sitting on a secret. The Doctor lifted his head with a hint of urgency.

"What?" He asked a little too quickly. "Older? Bigger ears? No, don't tell me." Rose just laughed.

"I mean your style completely changed." She touched his jacket playfully. "You don't keep this guy around." Her eyes misted over as her memories took her away. The leather jacket had always stayed in her room on the TARDIS. It hung on a chair next to her bed like a memorial. Sometimes when she was feeling off she would wear it, but mostly she would just stare at it…

"Well, that's expected." The Doctor shook her from her memories. "I've gone through some pretty strange phases in the past…" He shivered as he thought back to them. Rose leaned in to rest her head on The Doctor's chest, and he obligingly moved his arm out of her way to wrap around her.

"I wonder if you regenerate will you look like that, or will you look like someone else." Rose mused as she played with one of the buttons on the jacket.

"Do you want me to look like that again?" The Doctor asked. His face seemed level, but Rose could tell there was a bit of nervousness there. She remembered when he'd first regenerated how he'd asked a similar question, how she'd wanted him to go back. He seemed very crestfallen by her reaction to him.

"No." She replied. "I know how horrible the process is for you… I hope you don't have to regenerate for a long time." She smiled into his chest. "Plus, I fell for you looking like this first." The Doctor tightened his grip around her and pulled her in closer, but didn't make a comment. There was a long silence again. Long enough for Rose to start fading off to sleep to the white noise of the open field.

\-----

In the morning light, the grass seemed much greener, and the sky had a lot more clouds. The peek of sunlight had caused Rose to stir. She could feel the damp grass seeping into her clothes and she tried to bury herself deeper into the vague heat-source below her. Rose had never been a morning person. She'd always had to get up early, but she had never been bright about it. Lately, she hadn't had much use for sleep at all. Avoid difficult mornings by never going to sleep, it seemed logical enough. That night it came easily to her. The hypnotic sounds of nature, the duel rhythm of a familiar heartbeat, a general feeling of safety and comfort. It was the perfect recipe for a full nights sleep.

"You talk in your sleep." The Doctor's voice made her jump up. She'd forgotten how she'd fallen asleep in the first place. Her embarrassment was evident as she attempted to smooth down her messy hair. "Also, you drool." He commented as he straightened out his jumper and sat up. The Doctor was a deep romantic, that much was true, but he was also at his core a real jerk. He couldn't let Rose get away without acknowledging her shameful sleep habits. It was just in his nature.

"Did you sleep?" She asked. "Or were you too busy scrutinizing me?"

"Don't really sleep, me." He shrugged. "Thought you knew that." He shook himself out as if shaking off the night, then made to stand tall against the bright sky. Rose squinted up at him as he straightened his jacket and offered her a hand.

"So what's first?" Rose asked as she smoothed out her peasant's dress. "Tea?" The Doctor thought about it for a moment. He wanted to get moving, but he did fancy a cup of tea… He made a quick decision.

"Right, tea then we're off." He turned to step towards the TARDIS but a sneeze halted him in his tracks. "Bless you." He turned to Rose.

"Wasn't me!" Rose said spinning around. The Doctor moved forward towards the crest of the hill, Rose followed curiously on his heels.

"Who's there?" He called into the long grass. I tiny head poked up with wide, apologetic eyes.

"Joan!" Rose threw her hands to her hips. "You followed us?" She wanted to be stern, but she didn't have it in her heart. Joan stood up and nodded.

"I'm sorry." She said regretfully. "I just… I have no one else and I…" She looked around anxiously. "I thought I could help and…" She sniffled a little and toyed with the small apron she wore. "Oh, please don't send me away!" Rose covered her mouth to hide her feelings. The Doctor just frowned.

"What we do is too dangerous for children." He said in a firm but still a little friendly voice.

"I promise you won't even know I'm here! I'll do the washing! I can even cook!" She clasped her hands together as she begged.

"Then what would Rose do?" The Doctor jutted his head to the side at Rose.

"She's sick, she shouldn't do that stuff anyway," Joan replied but instantly regretted. "Oops. I mean," She held a hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Miss Rose. I shouldn't have been listening in!" The Doctor crossed his arms and turned to Rose with a disapproving look. Joan threw herself to her knees and held up her clasped hands desperately. "Oh please, Mister Doctor! I won't be any trouble."

"It's just Doctor." He corrected her softly and crouched to her level. "Joan, this is quite difficult for me to explain…"

"Don't you dare." Rose leaned forward and gripped him by the shoulder. He turned to look up at her. Her face was serious as she shook her head slowly. "She's not ready for all that." He stared dumbly at her for a moment, then nodded in agreement and turned back to the teary child.

"I'm not a baby." Joan sniffled as she tried to sound tough. "I can handle anything! I survived a dragon while my whole family died. That should count for something." The Doctor ran a hand across his face as he tried to think of what to do. "I'll take you to the temple of the grail." His hand dropped.

"You know where it is?" He asked. She nodded. The Doctor looked back at Rose who was biting her lip. Then turned back again. "This is going to be very dangerous…"

"I can handle it." The Doctor nodded then stood to his full height and sighed.

"We'll need three cups of tea, Rose." He turned to face her. "Better bring them out…" Rose nodded and turned to head into the TARDIS. "Maybe the deck chairs too?" Rose paused to look at him over her shoulder with a less than pleased expression, then carried on. He smiled cheekily as she disappeared.

"How will she get tea in there?" Joan asked curiously. "What is that thing?"

"Just an old box we keep our things in." The Doctor shrugged. "Kettle, food, deck chairs…"

"But how do you carry it around?" The Doctor scratched his neck and turned to look at the TARDIS as if she'd give him an answer. Then he turned back and grinned.

"Magic, of course." Joan nodded confidently. Perfectly convinced.

Rose returned a few minutes later with the tea on a platter in one hand, and the deck chairs looped over her arm in the other. She looked flustered as she tried to set them up with one hand, then gave up and let them fall into the grass. The Doctor smiled and took a cup for himself, then leaned forward pulled a chair from the grass and flicked it open with a smooth gesture.

"How do you know where the temple is, Joan?" Rose asked as she finally got the other two chairs set up. She turned around and plunked herself into one. Joan copied her and took a cup of tea.

"I've been a few times…" She admitted. "I know we aren't supposed to but… well, my brother's and I sort of stumbled upon it while we were out playing." She took a sip of the tea. "It's all overgrown, you'd never know it was a temple at all!"

"Did you go in?" Rose asked. Joan shook her head.

"No… once we realized what it had to be we ran home. My brother said it was us that brought on the dragon. God's might and all…" Rose frowned but nodded all the same.

After the tea was gone, and the chairs were put away, the journey could finally begin. Joan lead the way proudly while The Doctor and Rose trailed behind. It was a short walk through the tall grass to the edge of the forcefield. Much to Joan's delight, The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to let them pass through, explaining that it was a magic wand and not some kind of alien technology from another time.

"Now that we're out of the forcefield, does that mean the dragon is an issue again?" Rose asked quietly. The Doctor nodded.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the dragon was placed in the temple as an egg to ward off enemies in time." He leaned in as he spoke so that he could talk in a more hushed tone. "There's no doubt in my mind it's there now." Rose nodded and eyed the child that walked only a few paces ahead of them.

"What are we really doing here, Doctor?" She whispered. "Is it worth risking her life for?" The Doctor pursed his lips.

"I won't let anything happen to her." He said with a convincing nod. More for himself than for Rose.

"Yeah, I've seen how well your word sticks," Rose grumbled.

"We're almost there!" Joan called back to them gleefully. "It's just beyond that hill!" She pointed with her finger, but there were so many hills that Rose decided it didn't really matter.

"You're doing a fine job, navigator!" The Doctor beamed and Joan swelled with pride.

"Don't you worry Miss Rose, once you get the Grail you two can live happily ever after!" Rose forced a smile, she hated to be deceitful to Joan. She wanted to tell her she wasn't sick, she wanted to tell her they'd have to leave her, but the words just sat like a lump in her throat.

"That's the plan." The Doctor said cheerily as he wrapped a firm arm around Rose and shook her slightly. Joan seemed dazzled, she couldn't help but grin at them. It made the feeling the ill feelings inside Rose lurch. How could The Doctor go with this so easily?

"I sure hope I meet a wizard of my own someday." She said quietly as she turned around. Her little feet broke into an excited run as they went down one hill and up the other.

As they climbed higher and higher a pile of vine-covered rubble started to come into view. It looked as if was the result of a landslide, only there was nothing higher for which the rocks could have tumbled. The only queue that it may have been more than it appeared was that some of the rubble looked like pieces of columns that might have once held up the structure. Joan turned excitedly on her heel and held her hands up.

"Fantastic!" The Doctor exclaimed. He ruffled the top of Joan's head roughly as he passed her. Rose took her hand on her way by and they followed him down the hill.

"What happened to it?" Rose asked as they neared the base of the wreckage.

"You saw how big that dragon was."

"Yeah, but Joan said it only started coming around after they'd been here." She looked around. "This looks like it's been collapsed for ages."

"Or…" The Doctor leaned down between large bits of rock. "It's a clever disguise." He began to crawl in between the rocks and disappeared. Rose leaned cautiously forward and peeked down the hole. It was pitch black and ominous.

"Doctor?"

"Come on in, there's a staircase here." His echoey response reached out to her. Rose turned to Joan and beckoned her forward. The idea of bringing her down there didn't exactly delight Rose, but leaving her alone like a sitting duck above the surface gave her worse feelings. The small child climbed onto the rocks and Rose carefully lowered her into the hole.

"Here comes Joan," Rose warned.

"I've got her." The Doctor responded from below. Rose watched as Joan disappeared into the hole. Then she stepped up and prepared to enter. "Right, I'm just beneath you,"

"Oi, Best not be looking up my dress!" Rose pulled at her skirts and squinted at the hole.

"Oh go on," The Doctor called up in exasperation. "Just jump, I'll catch you." Rose took in a breath of air and then jumped into the darkness. She landed unceremoniously into a pair of arms, as her eyes adjusted to the light she could see The Doctor holding her and Joan standing close by. "Perfect catch." He grinned.

"Surprising, considering your track record has been dodgy at best." She smirked as she remembered their failed attempt to connect on Justicia. The moment, aside from being a little clumsy, was a special memory she treasured. Her body sprawled on top of his. Their faces inches apart. The goofy smile he gave as a massive explosion erupted beside them. They didn't even look… nothing was more important at that moment than the fact that they'd found each other after such a long time apart. The memory brought a blush to her cheeks as The Doctor set her on her feet.

"Doctor, look." Joan pointed down a long and ancient corridor. Beams of light filled with dust particles appeared every so often through the gaps of the stone. They lit the path just enough to see there was a large wooden ornate door at the end.

"Nice work!" The Doctor cheered. He set the pace as they moved quickly down the corridor. Dust stirred at their feet in tiny cyclones as they went. The door at the end was far larger than it appeared from afar, so large the trio had to crank their necks back to get the full scale of it. It was roughly three stories high with large iron handles, far too big for a normal human's hand to pull.

"Woah." Joan breathed as she nearly toppled backward to take in the full height of the door. Rose stepped forward and pulled on one of the handles with all her strength. It never budged. She looked back at The Doctor and shook her head. The Doctor's eyes darted around the area like a cat as he tried to look for anything that might provide answers. Who builds a door they can't open themselves? They already knew the temple was built by locals, so there had to be some kind of trick to getting it open that wasn't immediately obvious. His eyes landed on a dust-covered lever sunken into the wall just out of sight. He darted over and gave it a pull.

The Door groaned to life. Rose quickly grabbed Joan and pulled her back protectively. The Doctor moved swiftly to their side. The dark space between the doors grew wider and wider until the light began to seep in and a great form took shape.

"Oh, bloody hell!" Rose gaped as the dragon from the day before was revealed to them. It turned its body around slowly and clumsily and offered a thunderous roar that caused dust to pour from the ceiling onto their heads. "What do we do now?" She asked The Doctor but didn't dear break her gaze from the dragon. Her instinct for survival already kicked into overdrive as she thought through their possible escape routes and potential defenses. Her hands clutched tightly around Joan who stared in awe. The Dragon swung its head around and began to build up a flame.

"Run!" The Doctor yelled and spun around on his heel. Rose lifted Joan up into her arms and carried her like a sack of potatoes. The Dragon let out a hot breath of fire and Rose dipped to the left to avoid it. The heat alone was enough to suck the air out of her lungs. The Doctor jumped to the right and landed on his stomach by the wall. The Dragon burst forward through the door, knocking it off its hinges with its bulk body. It roared again and let out another flame but Rose and Joan were protected by a column that jutted out of the stone wall. The dragon charged forward down the corridor like an iguana, swishing this way and that. The Doctor rolled onto his back just in time to dodge being squashed by a massive foot. He made a snap decision to grip onto the leg, and then the beast thrust its head through the rubble.

Joan turned to hide her face in Rose's shoulder. Rose burst forward and back towards the gaping hole where the door once stood. The rubble fell down behind them as the dragon pushed its way up and out to the fresh air. Rose turned to look for The Doctor, but she couldn't see him. Brief panic flashed through her mind, she made to run to the rubble to search for him, but the debris was still falling. She had to make a snap decision, Joan or The Doctor. Her instinct made the call for her. He had to have gotten out, she thought as she ran into the room previously occupied by the dragon. It was the only thought she would allow.

The room was massive, large enough to hold a fully grown dragon and then some. The dragon had seemed to have created some kind of nest in the center of the room. Pieces of charred remains and bits of bracken were piled into the rough shape of a circle. It reeked of decay, Joan instinctively held a hand over her mouth as they passed it. At the far end of the room, there was a gorgeous mural spanning the entire wall. It told the story of the last supper. The central image was the son of God holding the grail in his hand. Below that appeared to be a small ornate marble table, and a direct skylight from above beamed sunlight down onto it as if Christ himself was showing them the way. Rose ran towards it eagerly. When she reached the table, there was nothing on it. She circled around it a few times for good measure, and then anxiously looked around the rest of the area.

"Do you see it anywhere?" She asked Joan as she pulled back a dusty tapestry to check behind it for hiding spots. Joan didn't respond, instead, she lifted herself onto her tiptoes and inspected the small table. She blew the dust away with one hard blow and a piece of parchment flew off. She ran to grab it.

"There's this!" She offered it to Rose who took it greedily. The writing was ridiculously over flourished and her eyes strained to read what was written there.

"Sorry for the trouble… it's in good hands…. Sir Lancelot." Rose crinkled her nose and frowned in disgust. "Ps. Sorry about the dragon." She crinkled the parchment in her hand and tossed it to the ground. "We've been beaten to it! We're too late!" Rose sunk to the ground and rested her chin in her hands. It was all a waste… and now she couldn't even be sure if The Doctor was alive or dead. Joan reached out a tiny hand and placed it on her back. Rose turned to look at her softly. "I guess it's safe to say it wasn't you and your brothers who woke the dragon." Joan nodded.

"It's not over yet." She said softly. "Sir Lancelot is one of the nights of the round. He's very famous. Everyone knows where he lives." Rose looked up at her, visibly impressed. "We'll just have to go there and steal it from him!" Joan squeaked with glee.

"Oh, Joan… it isn't right to steal." Rose said in a mothering tone that didn't really feel like her. That said, she couldn't exactly let an impressionable youth go down the wrong path at her expense. She was a role model at this point, she should at least pretend.

"He stole it first." Joan shrugged.

"Yeah, right." Rose nodded thoughtfully. "Then I guess that's okay.." She looked at Joan and gave a little laugh, then tapped her on the nose playfully.

Suddenly another loud crash sounded from above. Rose grabbed onto Joan and pulled her close once more. She looked up to the ceiling at what appeared to be another mechanized door, potentially the way the dragon was getting out to eat. There was only a second to really think about it before the dragon came bursting through the wood like a massive wrecking ball. Shards of wood and flecks of dirt sputtered down from above. Rose shielded Joan from the debris as it scattered everywhere. The beast roared and flapped its mighty wings. It landed awkwardly on the ground and dug its claws into the stone as it attempted to regain balance. Rose squeezed her eyes shut as the dragon lowered its head, she silently prayed that The Doctor was alright and that he wouldn't blame himself for their deaths wherever he was.

"There you are!" The Doctor's voice made Rose pop open her eyes and look around. The Dragon was still staring right at her, its face calm and almost gentle. "Did you find it?" Rose jerked her head up. There he was, grinning like a madman, sitting atop a massive dragon-like King of the universe. Nothing out of place there. Rose scoffed.

"Oh, you must think you're so impressive!" Rose spat as she tensely pushed wisps of hair from her face.

"I am so impressive." The Doctor grinned. "Psychic paper works on dragons too. What do you know?" Rose rolled her eyes.

"The Grails not here. We've been beaten." The Doctor looked a little disappointed. "But Joan says she knows where the guy lives." She looked down at Joan who was barely containing her excitement at the image of The Doctor riding the dragon.

"Well… it won't hurt to maybe just say hello?" The Doctor said as he patted the dragon playfully. "Hop on, ladies. Let's take a little cruise." Joan all but leaped out of Rose's arms.

\-----

Flying on a dragon was much like riding the worst built rollercoaster you could imagine. There wasn't anywhere to really grip, the scales were hard on your rear, and the fear of being hurled off was very real. The wind whipped wildly at Rose's hair as she squinted into it. The only saving grace in the whole dragon experience was the closeness of The Doctor behind her. She sat perched between his legs, her back firmly against his stomach and chest. He had one hand around her waist and the other gripping the Dragon's scales. The mood would have been romantic if not for the constant fear of death and the stress of looking after the little girl sitting between her own legs.

Despite losing her entire family to the very dragon she sat on, Joan seemed elated in the experience. She laughed with glee at every dip and held her arms high whenever possible. The more animated she became the more stressed Rose grew. If only the girl would just hold on and never mind her life-changing experience. The dragon let out a loud roar as it neared what looked to be a medieval city. Rose tried to push the hair from her eyes to get a better look.

"Quite the Targaryen!" The Doctor sputtered as he leaned to the side to avoid Rose's blonde locks from whipping him in the face.

"What's that?" Rose yelled into the wind and tried to turn to face him. He gave her a brief look of shock then shook his head.

"Guess they don't have that one in this universe… probably too close to actual history." Rose turned back around, whipping The Doctor in the face with her hair again. He leaned back in annoyance. "Alright, we'll have to land this guy somewhere outside the city. Don't need to cause any damage." Rose nodded in agreement.

"Will he wait for us?"

"Oh sure," The Doctor shrugged. "Dragons are a lot like dogs. Give them a job and they'll do it. Very loyal creatures."

The dragon swooped low to the ground and landed as gracefully as something that heavy possibly could. A couple of farmers nearby were frozen with fear as they watched the three strangers slide down the side of the beast's neck. Wide eyes and rattling knees, clinging to their wheat as if they could hide behind it. The Doctor spotted them and waved casually with a big grin. Rose gave a brief glance and an apologetic shrug.

They walked quickly towards the gates of the city. They were open, insinuating that it was a time of peace and that they weren't worried about anyone storming in. A few quick questions here and there lead them straight to the castle where Sir Lancelot apparently lived. He was a favoured knight among the people, and they were happy to tell all they knew.

"How are you planning on getting in?" Rose whispered as they climbed the stairs to the castle doors. Two guards looked down upon them with dull interest. The Doctor didn't answer, he just smiled.

"Hello." The Doctor waved as he reached the top. "Here to see Sir Lancelot." Rose tried her best not to roll her eyes and grin. Classic Doctor.

"Who are you?" The guard asked in mock irritation.

"I'm The Doctor."

"He's a wizard, I'm his cauldron wench, and she feeds the dragon." Rose thrust her finger about as she went through the members of her party in a casual fashion. The guards looked anxiously at each other.

"Dragon?" One of them asked.

"Only way to travel." The Doctor beamed politely. He rocked slightly on his heels giving away his impatience.

"How can a child feed a dragon?" The other guard looked disbelieving.

"She's not a child." Rose spat quickly. "She's eighty-seven." Then she leaned in with a playful wink. "Magic." The guards eyed Joan curiously. She crossed her arms and gave them a stern look.

"Best be letting us in or I'll have fresh meat for the dragon tonight." She said in a voice that mocked adulthood. The man snapped into action and pulled open the door.

Once inside, the castle was very underwhelming. Stone walls with nothing on them, stone floors with no carpets, and no people. Rose had half expected to open the door to a throne room and see a King sitting there, but instead it was just a large empty hallway with arches on either side leading to other hallways. At the end, there were doors that most likely lead to a throne room, but that wasn't really where they were headed.

"Oi, you there!" A man armor had come out of one of the other hallways and held an offending finger in the direction of the three trespassers. His hair was grey and his face was weather-beaten. "How did you get in here?" He asked, taking a few commanding steps forward.

"The front door." The Doctor offered innocently and thrust a thumb behind him to be clear. "Are you Sir Lancelot? We're here to meet with him?" The man lowered his accusing finger and scowled slightly.

"No, I'm not." He grumbled. "Typical Lance, bringing his queer friends here." The Doctor and Rose looked at each other, then back to the snide old man.

"Could you take us to him?" Rose asked sweetly.

"What do I look like to you? A servant?" The man spat angrily and spun on his heel. Rose could feel herself getting fired up, she made to take a step forward and give the angry man a piece of her mind, but The Doctor raised his arm to block her. She looked up at him and he shook his head. It wasn't worth their time to get into it with someone. Then suddenly another man came through the same arch, slightly younger, early forties. He looked to be in a rush as his eyes flicked over to the trio.

"Excuse me," Rose called to him sweetly. The man made to turn away from her but found himself unable to ignore her sweet smile.

"How can I help, m'lady?" He offered a little bow which pleased Rose. The Doctor rolled his eyes, some things never changed.

"We're looking for Sir Lancelot." She said. "Do you know where we can find him?" The man stood tall and smiled.

"Of course." He replied. "I am Sir Lancelot." Rose clapped her hands together happily.

"Oh good!" She chirped. "Easier than we'd thought."

"I'm sorry, but what's this all about? I really must be getting on, I'm late for a meeting of the round." The Doctor nodded in mock understanding as he pushed his way past Rose to be the center focus.

"Nothing too important, just a quick thing really." He cleared his throat and put on his best smile. "Just came to pick up the Holy Grail, we got your note." The knight's eyes grew wide and darted about.

"Not sure what you're talking about, Sir." He said shakily.

"This isn't you?" Rose held up the parchment she'd kept from the temple. The knight bit his lip anxiously and took a few steps back. His hand instinctively on the hilt of his sword.

"Must say, clever bit of work you did getting in there." The Doctor crossed his arms and looked down at the knight condescendingly. "Not sure how you managed to escape the dragon, but you left a right mess for the locals. Though, I'm sure this note here will give them great comfort as they mourn for the lost loved ones."

"I think you should leave." He warned.

"Not without the Grail!" Joan insisted, her hands resting boldly on her hips. Lancelot looked down at her in confusion.

"Go on then, Lance." The Doctor said casually. "Give us the Grail, we'll take off." Lancelot's once friendly face had turned to one of a more serious tone. He drew his sword as if he were preparing to duel.

"You'd really kill a woman and child?" Rose asked, her hands raised in submission. The knight's firm expression faltered a bit.

"You're just a bunch of thieves, why should I hand it over to you?" He asked with an air of frustration.

"That's personal." The Doctor replied. A few moments of silence passed as Lancelot contemplated his situation. He studied Rose's face, soft and trusting, then Joan's, innocent and pure. Then with a sigh, he lowered his arm.

"I can't give it to you." He said meekly. "I need it to barter…"

"Barter?" Rose quirked a brow. "You don't want to use it on yourself?" Lancelot shook his head sadly.

"I thought I could trade it for the woman I love…" Rose made a sour face of disapproval but waited for clarification. "He doesn't love her… but he'll never let her go. We are desperate, you see? He's wanted the Grail for so long… it's our only hope!" It was Rose's turn to bite her lip anxiously. Her mind searched for the right thing to say, but it was The Doctor who offered a comforting hand.

"I understand." He said softly. The knight looked up to meet his eyes with pathetic glassy ones. "Love is a pretty powerful motive." The Doctor looked over at Rose and gave a soft smile. She blushed. "It's no problem."

"It's not?" The knight, Joan and Rose asked in unison. The Doctor shrugged and gave a grin.

"Sure, we'll just take it from the man you trade with."

"That will be very difficult…" Lancelot said awkwardly. "It's not just any man… it's King Arthur himself."

"Oh, Lance," Rose gasped in sympathy. "Falling for the Queen?" The Knight looked at his feet shyly. She tutted, but then gave him a smile to show she was teasing. "That won't be a problem!" She smirked as she clamped a hand on The Doctor's shoulder. "We have a seasoned master thief here!" The Doctor looked at her sternly but didn't deny her claim or question how she could know that about him.

"Before we go stealing from anyone," The Doctor began, holding his hand up to slow down the momentum of the conversation. "I'd like to just see the Grail. I need evidence that it is what you claim."

"You'll only try to steal it from me now!" Lancelot reached for his sword again. "A seasoned thief, she just confessed! You think me that foolish?"

"I promise, I won't." The Doctor held his hands up. "You see, no weapons on me, if I try to steal it you may run me through." The knight thought about it for a while, then decided it seemed like a sound enough idea. They didn't seem like evil people, but they also didn't seem like normal people. His gut told him to trust, and it had never led him to the wrong path before. To help another couple in love could provide good karma for his own struggle, being a big believer in that sort of thing he felt he had no choice. He nodded his decision to The Doctor and turned to lead them back to his chambers.

The Doctor was the first into the room when Lancelot opened the door. Sunlight poured in through a small window in the stone wall and caught each tiny dust particle in its beam as it sprawled across the floor. It was a humble room, no decorations, just a few pieces of armor and weaponry and a simple bed with a trunk on the end. The Doctor walked swiftly to the trunk and hovered over it as he looked back at the knight for permission. Lancelot gave him the nod he sought but kept his hand on his hilt and his position intimidatingly close to Rose and Joan. The Doctor dug through a few layers of shirts and pants before he paused and pursed his lips. He rested his wrists on his knees as he loomed over the open trunk.

"Well?" Rose asked impatiently. The Doctor reached forward into the trunk once more.

"This looks familiar." He said as he lifted something from the trunk with little care. Rose, who had been eager with anticipation, suddenly gasped, then sagged with realization. The item held in The Doctor's hand was nothing more than the plunger-like arm of a Dalek. He twirled it around in his hand with something between disgust and amusement on his face, then he tossed it back in and stood up. The shock on Lancelot's face was to be expected, he gripped at his chest plate anxiously.

"What are you saying? It's not the Holy Grail?" He asked with a twinge of strain.

"No, I'm certain it is." The Doctor confirmed with a sigh. "You lot, anything different or curious and you run instantly to religion." Rose leaned on the door frame and looked sympathetically at The Doctor, his disappointment was clear.

"It is debris from the Time War though?" She asked softly.

"Could be, wrong side though." He raked his hands through his short hair as he processed his mistake. "It was a gamble anyway…" He muttered as he looked out the window of the castle thoughtfully. Rose stepped forward and quietly rested a hand on his arm. He glanced up at her.

"What does this mean, Doctor?" Rose eyed the Dalek arm resting in the trunk. "This world has never made contact with a Doctor from this universe before. How can there be Daleks and no Doctor?"

"I didn't invent them, you know." He said in a harsher tone then he intended. "Sorry." He said quietly after a brief pause. "I don't really know what this means… There must have been a Time War and they must have lost, otherwise, none of this would be here… and if there was a Time War…" He pursed his lips. "Perhaps it's just me that didn't exist. You weren't born here, right?"

"They had a dog instead," Rose said quietly.

"We can't be sure about anything… only one thing," He looked back at the trunk with troubled eyes. "Daleks definitely existed." Rose followed his gaze and nodded.

"So I guess it doesn't keep you young or anything?" She whispered, but not quite enough that Lancelot couldn't hear.

"The Daleks were time travelers, there is a small possibility that the armor might have some effects on whatever comes in contact with it… but I highly doubt it. I had been hoping for something a little more… Gallifreyan." He spoke the last word in a whisper that only Rose could hear, then he looked up at the stunned face of Lancelot over Rose's shoulder.

"You speak of war?" He asked, suddenly feeling it was his turn to speak.

"Yeah," The Doctor confirmed despite the look Rose gave him. "Long time ago." He added to satisfy her.

"Between ancient wizards?" Joan piped up curiously, her presence startled the knight who had clearly forgotten she was there. The Doctor nodded silently. "Did the Wizards win?" She pried.

"Nobody won." The Doctor said firmly before swiftly pushing past all three humans and entering the solidarity of the hallway. They stared blankly at the empty doorway. Joan looked back to Rose with a troubled expression. Rose crouched down and offered her a little smile.

"He's alright." She said. "He gets like this some times… the price of surviving." Lancelot nodded, even though she hadn't been talking to him.

"I know that feeling." He said empathetically. Rose looked up at him thoughtfully, then stood to address him on his level.

"You can still use it to trade," She said as she gestured to the chest. "No one has to know."

"Probably better this way… No one should be able to escape death."

The words of the knight sat with Rose. She thought about them as they rode through the sky on the back of the mighty dragon, and she thought about them as they stood on the tall grassy hill by the TARDIS. To cheat death was to play God, and although some times she'd wondered, The Doctor wasn't God. He was a man, a man who could make mistakes and act selfishly. The lines were too often blurred, it bothered her greatly. Her conscience wanted to stop the hunt before things got out of hand, but her heart selfishly wanted what he wanted.

"I'm sorry, Joan. This is where we part." The Doctor's voice broke Rose from her thoughts. He was crouched in the grass before Joan, her tiny hand in his large one. Joan had tears in her pleading eyes.

"Please." She whispered. "I'll be good." The Doctor closed his eyes and sighed.

"I know you will," He replied. "but you're just too young." Rose stepped forward and rested a supportive hand on The Doctor's shoulder.

"Joan, you must listen to The Doctor." She said as gently as she could.

"Once we leave, the protection surrounding your village will go with us." The Doctor explained. "The dragon will need looking after, you must keep him in line for us." Joan glanced over at the snoozing dragon and wiped away the tears from her cheek.

"Will he listen to me?"

"Remember what I said about dragons being like dogs?" The Doctor glanced over at the dragon as well. "All he wants is a purpose, a job to do. Like a dog protects the sheep, a dragon protects a castle. Work with him and he'll be the best friend you've ever had." He offered a smile. Joan looked renewed with purpose. She puffed up her chest.

"I won't let you down, Doctor." She said proudly, then her chest deflated slightly. "You will come back someday, won't you?" The Doctor grinned.

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics are actually supposed to read 'horse', not 'rose', but it worked out nicer this way.  
'Psychic paper works on dragons' is a reference to Only Human when the ninth Doctor found Rose hiding in the bracken while he was on horseback. He explained that he broke a wild horse using psychic paper by convincing it he was king of horses (or something to that effect). Totally canon. It's one of the more ridiculous books in the adventures of nine and Rose, haha.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When we're fighting the same fight  
Dreaming the same dreams tonight  
You know I won't go letting you down

It had been a day or two of drifting along the time vortex in the TARDIS. Rose didn't bother to keep track. The Doctor had spent his time scanning the books in his library for anything that might give them their next heading, regardless of how uncertain everything was in this new Universe. He was determined to find his Holy Grail, something she herself was not so invested in. It worried her how intent he was to figure it out. It was a testament to how strongly he felt for her but also how horrific her death must have been for him. Her mind wandered to the regenerated Doctor in her old Universe, would he have moved on knowing Rose was alive somewhere living what he would assume was her best life? He could probably be content with that and eventually forget all about her. Meet new companions, maybe fall in love again. She wanted that for him. This Doctor was a completely different animal. It was almost like when he regenerated he was a fully healed butterfly emerging from a cocoon. This Doctor never even started the process, instead, he was punched in the gut repeatedly and had his heart ripped out sending him into a spiraling depression, just when he was starting to get on his feet again. He was determined to lay down and die like an old dog before he fell into the wrong universe and found Rose again. Clearly, having Rose back in his life was helping, but his obsession was an obvious sign that it wasn't enough.

Rose sat curled in a blanket with a cup of tea as she watched The Doctor flip through page after page. Book after book. His focus was intense. He hadn't noticed her come in. She wondered if he'd left the room at all in the time she'd been asleep. Despite her ill feelings towards this insane quest and his obvious avoidance of dealing with his emotional wellness, Rose was very grateful to be traveling with him again. In her mind, it was doing her a world of good. She was beginning to feel like her old self again, like a real human being again. Perhaps she was as deluded as The Doctor, but looking at him now, rifling through books, felt like home. She truthfully wished there really was some magic spell that would make it so she could spend forever with him… but what could that possibly look like? No one was meant to stay with The Doctor forever. She learned that lesson long ago.

"Doctor?" Rose's voice split the quiet like a sharp knife. The Doctor spun around in surprise, his one hand sprawled across the spine of a heavy book.

"Ah, you're up." He smiled at her. Rose rolled her eyes the second he turned to look back at the book.

"What if I told you I'd been sitting here for hours?" She asked, but he didn't respond. Rose tapped her teacup with her nail in irritation. "You know Doctor, If we never find what you're looking for, you're going to regret that you wasted this time flipping through books." The Doctor tilted his head up and snapped the dusty book closed with one hand. He slid it back onto the shelf and turned to face her.

"Ye of little faith." He stated as he walked over to the couch in his familiar swagger. "but I do see your point." He leaned over the edge of the couch with his palms supporting his weight. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine, thank you." Rose grinned and took a sip from her tea. It was truly lovely to be able to sleep again. The Doctor drummed his fingers impatiently as they stared at each other in silence. She could tell he was itching to get back to searching, but she wasn't giving in. "Have you slept at all?" She asked, knowing full well he hadn't.

"Nope." He confirmed. Rose nodded. More silence, more impatient drumming fingers.

"Hungry?" She asked in the same polite tone. The Doctor shook his head. Rose took another loud sip of her tea and looked around the room for something to talk about. Then gave up with a loud sigh. "Oh alright," She groaned. "You're not exactly making this easy, go on." The Doctor beamed at her with a wide grin, but instead of heading back to the bookshelves he came around the couch and plopped himself onto it by her feet.

"I can take a little break." He smiled as he craned his head to the side to look at her. He reached a handout and gave her a few pats on the knee. Rose smiled back, she leaned forward and set down her tea on the nearby coffee table. "What would you like to do? Telly? Travel? Food?" Rose leaned onto her knees and smiled.

"That all sounds great." She grinned. "I don't know what to choose!" The Doctor mirrored her giddy expression as he draped an arm over the back of the couch to lean in closer to her.

"Or, another idea just struck me," He gave her a little wink and a soft nudge on the knee. Rose blushed and pulled her knees back from him.

"That's pretty bold of you." She said with a laugh of surprise.

"What?" She wasn't sure if he was playing at shock or genuinely surprised by her response. "Surely you and I-" He looked a little embarrassed and regretful all of a sudden.

"Not when you were you!" She cut him off and brought her knees down so she could sit cross-legged. His expression changed again, Rose instantly regretted her choice of words, he looked rejected and humiliated. "Surely you'd remember?"

"Yeah," He said quietly and turned his body away from her. "Is it this face?" He asked. "Was I prettier… after?"

"Oh, Doctor," Rose shifted her legs and leaned forward to touch his hand. "This face is perfect." She raised her free hand to touch his cheek softly. "Very handsome. Charming features, gorgeous eyes… That goofy grin…" She smiled softly as she looked him over as if examining a piece of furniture. The Doctor smiled a little at that and looked down at her hand on his own. "We never actually became intimate." She shrugged regretfully. "You never made any moves and I was always unsure…" She dropped her hand from his cheek. "It wasn't until I was living with the human clone version that we became some sort of… Couple." The Doctor frowned.

"Sorry." He said as if the word felt weird in his mouth. "I guess, this version of me has had a lot of time to think about you and how I would have done everything differently. All the wasted opportunities." He never met her eyes, but she was staring at him adoringly. "I never imagined I'd get another shot…" He trailed off and gave a shrug. Rose let out a little laugh.

"Bit thirsty are you?" She gave him a cheeky grin and he couldn't help himself but grin back. "I guess it's understandable." Their smiles faded as Rose took The Doctor's larger hand in her own and began to draw little lines and circles on his palm. They both stared at the hands thoughtfully, as if feeling out where they were now. "It's like my deepest dreams and desires have come true." She said quietly. They both kept their eyes locked on their hands. "I learned a lot about your past from my time with your clone. So many stories… so many companions. I accepted that I was just one of many and that you had to go on… that you'd loved before and you'd love again." The Doctor's eyes flicked up to study her face. She just looked thoughtful, no sadness or anger. "I'd dreamed that you'd come back for me. Tell me I was the exception and that you'd do anything to keep me with you… but I knew that was crazy." She took in a deep breath. "Now to have you pop in like this, saying what you're saying it's just…" She shook her head in disbelief.

"It's true that people can love more than once." The Doctor said slowly. "I've had a wife… children… all those things. Loved them all." He brought his hands together to grip hers gently. "Lost them all." Their eyes met. "You are special, Rose Tyler. Never mind who I've been or will be, the me on this couch with you now, loves you more than anything in the universe. That's all that matters." The tears surprised Rose as they rolled down her cheek. A confession she had always known, but never actually heard. Her heart pounded in her chest and the silent tears flowed unstoppably.

"You always were a romantic." She tried to laugh but it only made more tears pour out. The Doctor leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. They sat like that for a while, just holding each other. "Maybe we should just get something to eat for now," Rose mumbled into his chest. "Maybe chips." The Doctor smiled.

"Alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, and thank you, everyone, that has left a beautiful comment for me. They make my heart super full, and make me a little more confident to share some other Nine/Rose fics I've written. Cheers!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> our hopes and expectations  
black holes and revelations

"Remind me again how this plan works?" Rose asked as she wiped the sweat from her brow and re-adjusted her ball-cap. They were standing side by side wearing matching caps and aprons behind a table in a massively busy market place. The heat was sweltering and the atmosphere around them was suffocating. People milled about from stall to stall, examining goods and offering currencies. The Doctor stood proudly in his carefully crafted disguise, his hands behind his back as he smiled at the passersby.

They had been traveling for some time following different leads, but all came to a dead end. The trips had not been wasted time, as brief as some of them were. They were able to find fun in it as they once had. Sometimes they would just go somewhere for the sake of it, unrelated to their journey, which Rose took as a very good sign that they were making positive progress. Things were just starting to feel like the old TARDIS team again… Then this whole hare-brained scheme came up.

"A universal marketplace is the perfect place to get information. All walks of life here." He nodded a polite greeting to a huge slug that gave them a passing glance. "As a vendor, we'll talk to a lot more people, and we'll be able to infiltrate the tight bond market vendors seem to have with each other. We'll get more information this way, trust me."

"So why hot dogs?" Rose asked pointing at the sizzling grill to her right. The Doctor glanced back at them.

"Why not?" He retorted. "Everyone loves to eat. Everyone loves a hot dog."

"Where did you get all this?" She pried further.

"You don't want to know." The Doctor replied cryptically.

"And the mustaches?" She pointed a finger to her furry upper lip with a quirked eyebrow. The Doctor grinned proudly and stroked his own mustache.

"Trying a new look." He shrugged. "You like?" She didn't answer, just continued to point at her own mustache. "I just made you wear one for a laugh." The Doctor admitted, provoking a swat to the arm from Rose. He jumped back with a laugh. She angrily ripped the mustache from her face and turned away to conceal how much it hurt.

"I'm taking a break." She huffed after recovering. She pulled her hat off and tossed it at The Doctor. He watched her leave out the back of the tent with mild surprise.

"Don't be long, lunch rush starts soon." He saw her come out around the front and walk into the crowd. "You're on the clock you know!" He called out to her but she didn't look back. The Doctor grinned and shook his head. "Can't get good help these days." He said to himself.

A large alien saddled up to the table with the presence of an elephant. He was roughly humanoid, a biped at any rate, with a massive gut and trunk-like arms and legs. He had two massive tusks protruding from his jaw and a single massive horn from his forehead. He looked down at The Doctor curiously.

"Are they truly dogs?" He asked in a booming voice. The Doctor, no longer able to see Rose through the thick crowd, brought his attention to the customer. He had to crane his head back and squint into the sun to try and see the face clearer. He recognized the alien to be a vendor a few stalls down that sold books and antiques.

"Nah, bovine byproduct." The Doctor smiled cheerfully. The vender looked disappointed.

"That is false advertising." He sighed. 'Why call it a hot dog if it is not a dog at all? Why not hot bovine byproduct?"

"Don't know." The Doctor confessed. "Very good question. Humans are strange." The vender nodded in agreement.

"Never the less, I shall try your Earth cuisine. Seven dogs please." The Doctor grinned and spun around to the grill and set to work.

"Chips with that?" He asked over his shoulder.

"Chips of what?" The Doctor spun around to face him. That was a good question too.

"Ehm," He glanced at the sack of potatoes he'd asked Rose to peel and cut up. "Potato."

"How absurd!" The vender boomed offensively. "I will take four." The Doctor nodded.

\----

Rose looked through table after table, her curiosity fully peaked as she inspected foreign objects. Markets were a mixed bag as far as traveling went. They were either full of really interesting things to see and do, or just busy and loud and way too hot. This one was verging on the latter. With a quick scan over a nearby table, she was able to guess at what some of the objects could be. It gave her a sense of pride to get things on her own, but so much of it was a complete mystery to her. At one table she examined a long tube-like piece, but for fear of it being something inappropriate she quickly set it down. Another item that caught her interest was a pair of sunglasses from a table that appeared to be filled with weaponry. She slipped them on to discover they were x-ray vision. She gasped and quickly pulled them off.

"See anything you like?" The vender asked politely.

"What?" Rose asked with brightly flushed cheeks. "I didn't see anything!" She defended. The Vender chuckled and straightened the glasses so they sat as they had before.

"I meant the merchandise." Rose covered her face with her hands and laughed.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." She laughed and turned away. She glanced at her watch briefly and noted it was nearly time to head back to The Doctor. She frowned thinking about peeling potatoes or whatever non-sense he would ask her to do. Were they really going to find anything out that way or was The Doctor just playing around? It was hard to tell with him sometimes, he'd get so carried away playing pretend. An alien passing by bumped hard into her shoulder, jarring her from her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry." The lean alien said. Two out of four of his tentacles raised apologetically. He moved on quickly alerting Rose's suspicion. She reached into her back pocket to note her wallet was no longer there.

"Oi!" She shouted angrily. Other customers turned to look at her. "That bloke stole my wallet!" She hollered before charging into the crowd. The skinny alien glanced back, when he saw her running he began to bolt. Rose was spurred on by determination, she wasn't about to let him get away.

The Doctor glanced up from the grill to see a scrawny tentacled alien running through the crowd, and then a moment later he saw Rose in hot pursuit. He furrowed his brow and turned from the grill.

"Oi!" He hollered out, causing Rose to turn her head to look at him. He raised his arm up in the air and pointed to his watch expectantly. Rose gave him an 'are you serious?!' Look as she charged forward, still on the chase. "Always chasing boys!" The Doctor huffed as he spun back to his grill.

Rose was nearly on the alien's tail. She was gaining nearer and nearer, almost close enough to grab him. With a burst of adrenaline, she pounced forward to make for a tackle. Instead of making contact with the alien, she dropped like a stone and made contact with the dirt. The thief had turned at the last minute and made darted between two vendor stalls and disappeared. Rose pounded her fist angrily into the dirt and growled. She regretted letting her fitness training slide since she boarded the TARDIS.

"My points card was in there!" She groaned, gaining looks from nearby shoppers. "I was very near a free meal." She explained as if it made her struggle that much worse. She sighed and stood up, dusting herself off carefully.

Back at the tent, The Doctor handed over the seven hot dogs and four baskets of fries to the massive vender. He explained politely the concept of condiments and how humans liked to dress up their food to maximize the flavour. The vender put a different combination on each dog excitedly. The Doctor grinned, appreciating when people took advantage of experimenting with new things.

"How much do I owe you?" The vender asked digging into his pockets. The Doctor held up a hand politely and shook his head.

"How about you let me take a look at your wares and we'll do a trade?" He offered with a smile. The vender nodded and smiled.

"A trade it is." He bowed and headed back over to his tent, balancing his food carefully in his large hands. Rose burst into the back of the tent with a frown that could crack a mirror. The Doctor spun around to chastise her on the importance of time management, but upon viewing her face chose not to.

"What happened?" He asked instead as she plunked down onto a stool and reached for the sack of potatoes.

"Some help you are." She spat as she began peeling viciously. "That little squid man stole my wallet!" The Doctor crossed his arms and leaned on one of the tent posts.

"So? You don't actually need anything in that wallet."

"I might!" Rose bit back. "Doesn't it bother you a little bit that this place has got thieves running around?" The Doctor dropped his arms and sighed.

"It's a market. That happens."

"Well, it's annoying." The Doctor crouched down so that he was at eye level with Rose. He rested his arms on his knees and smiled softly at her. She glanced up at him and tried to maintain her annoyed expression. "I hate marketplaces." She told him quietly. He let out a little laugh.

"Will it make you feel better if I poke around and try to get it back for you?" He reached forward and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. Rose gave a little shrug as if it didn't matter to her, but it was obvious it did. "Alright, I'll go out as soon as the rush is over." He jumped up and spun around as if expecting to see a massive lineup. No one was there. He frowned and looked at his watch. Rose rolled her eyes.

\----

The Doctor sauntered casually down the main strip of the marketplace. There was no urgency to his actions, Rose's lost wallet was hardly a pressing matter in his mind, but all the same, he kept an eye out for the young thief. His eyes darted back and forth, inspecting tables and vendors and patrons alike looking for anything of interest. He paused at a table and dully examined an antique mirror. He lifted it and inspected his phony mustache appreciatively before flipping the mirror over and setting it down.

"Maybe a beard." He mused as he carried on his way.

He'd left Rose behind to man the stand. She'd protested at first, but The Doctor assured her that they'd get something important from it. She eventually agreed, but angrily rejected his suggestion to put the mustache back on. He'd narrowly escaped a potato to the head as he exited the tent. Now he was just part of the mob, slowly shifting one way or another, vendor to vendor. He stopped at another table, it was a mess of junk from all over the universe. The Doctor bent forward and sifted through the pile. Lot's of different things caught his attention, but nothing more so than a little metal pyramid with strange etchings on it. He turned it around in his hand a few times.

"How much for this?" He asked as the vender turned his attention towards him.

"Five quades." He replied. The Doctor dug deep into his pocket, then something else caught his eye. His hand darted from his pocket and picked up a tiny pink plastic ring with the familiar image of the Spice Girls and the phrase 'Girl Power!' Written across them. He grinned goofily.

"And this?" He asked. The vender inspected it as if it were a fine specimen.

"With that there, I'll take nine quades." The Doctor dug in his pocket and pulled out a bill.

"All I have is a tenner." He said. "Have you got change?"

"Sorry mate." The vendor shook his head.

"Go on then," The Doctor handed him the bill and pocketed both items. "What vender doesn't have change?" He muttered as he turned away. That was when he spotted him, the tentacled thief with another innocent victim. The Doctor's mouth turned to a firm line as he made a powerful stride towards them. His hand stretched out and latched onto the shoulder of the thief, under closer inspection he couldn't have been more than fifteen.

"Not nice to steel." The Doctor said sternly but with an air of play-fullness. The young thief pulled his tentacle away from the unsuspecting shopper and held all four tentacles up in submission. The Doctor tightened his grip on the kid's shoulder and leaned in. "You took my mate's wallet, gonna need that back."

"You the police?" The youth asked.

"Worse." The Doctor replied pulling the young thief in closer. His intimidating confidence made the boy uncomfortable and nervous.

"I don't have it." He stuttered anxiously. "Already gave it to the boss." The Doctor furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean boss?" The kid pursed his lips and looked around anxiously. The Doctor tightened his grip further and gave the scrawny boy a hard shake. "Go on." The kid kept his lips tight. "Fine, let's take a little trip back to my stall and I'll let Rose show you the fryer." He began tugging the kid along as if he weighed nothing. "She's very good with the fryer. Knows exactly how long to keep things in the boiling oil so they get that nice crispy crust." The kid gulped anxiously. He attempted to dig in his tentacles but one harsh pull from The Doctor made him lurch forward.

"Wait! Wait," The kid stammered. The Doctor stopped and turned to face him. "The boss runs the whole thieving operation at the market. Everything we take goes to him."

"What do you get in return?"

"Nothing." The kid said with wide eyes. "He lets us live?" The Doctor frowned and looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to their conversation. No one appeared to notice them.

"What does he do with the stolen goods?"

"I-I'm not sure."

"Does he ask you to steal certain things? Or does he just want you to steal whatever you can?"

"Mostly we steal what we can, but I-" The kid paused and looked around again. The Doctor copied him. "I was specifically told to go after your friend's wallet." He whispered.

"Why?" He shook his head and raised his shoulders to convey he didn't know more than that. "Hmm." The Doctor looked away thoughtfully, his face stern and concentrated. He looked back at the kid, his features a little softer. "Take me to him." The kid's eyes were as wide as saucers. He made to refuse but The Doctor gripped him hard and pulled him in till their faces nearly touched. "Take me to him." He repeated. The kid nodded.

\----

Rose sighed as she handed over another hot dog and collected another handful of change. If nothing else this gig was surely getting them a bit of spending money. Though the currencies were all over the map and none were of any use to Rose really. She plunked down onto her stool and rested her chin into her propped up hands. So far no information had been offered, no matter how many polite questions she asked customers. She drummed her fingers thoughtfully on her cheek and eyed the discarded mustache she had tossed away earlier just a few feet away. She wondered if The Doctor was having any success. Now that she had cooled off she knew he was right, a silly lost wallet was no big deal. She felt guilty making him track it down, but she was too stubborn to admit it to anyone.

"Excuse me?" A polite voice broke Rose from her thoughts. She stood up swiftly and bounced over to the table with her best customer service grin.

"Hi! How can I help you?" She asked in a voice that was higher than her normal tone. The customer was male, but that was only deduced from his voice. He was covered head to toe in black fabric. His arms were folded in front of him like a monk and his face was completely hidden.

"Genuine Earth Cuisine?" The stranger read the sign above their heads. Something about him wasn't sitting right with Rose.

"S'right," Rose confirmed.

"And you as well, a genuine human." Rose's smile faded away as she wondered why that statement made her feel threatened. She looked around at all the people passing. Nothing could possibly happen to her in such an open space, right?

"What's it to you?" She asked, no longer concerned with customer service anymore. She just wanted the man to go away.

"I have a message for you." He said after a few moments. Rose took a step back and very stealthily reached for the metal tongs resting by the grill. She kept them hidden behind her back.

"For me specifically?" Rose asked carefully. "Or a just someone who's human?"

"For you, Rose Tyler." Now Rose was sure he was a threat. She took another step back and reached her free hand to the handle of the fryer.

"Keep back, creepy cloak." She warned. "This oil will melt whatever flesh you've got under there."

"I understand your fear." The stranger spoke with a calm confidence that made Rose's skin crawl. "Fear is self-preservation. It has benefited humans for a long time." Rose shifted her feet anxiously as she prepared to defend herself. "You have no reason to fear me, though. I have only come to help."

"Help with what?" She asked curiously but maintaining her cautiousness.

"You have both been given a second chance, but this quest you're on is bigger than eternal youth. You'll discover in time that you won't need it…" Rose felt her heart skip a beat, how could he know about their intimate mission? No one could know about that. Her mind raced to try to comprehend what it all meant. "Something is coming. Horrors from your past. You must be ready- this is bigger than the two of you. More than just your lives are on the line." He unfolded his arms and revealed a gloved hand holding a small metal chest. He set it down on the table and hid his hand away again. "This will help you defeat them."

"Who?" Rose asked, but she was ignored.

"You must only open it when the time is right."

"How will I know?"

"You will know, trust me." Rose released her grip from the fryer and reached out for the chest. "When all is lost, when it looks like the end and there is no possible way out… that will be the time." Her eyes scanned the chest thoughtfully wondering what could possibly be inside to help in such a situation, then she looked back to the cloaked figure. "One more thing," He said. "You mustn't tell The Doctor about this. It's imperative he doesn't know, I can't stress that enough." Rose nodded slowly. The mysterious confident air to the stranger's voice began to dissipate and become more familiar in tone. It made her feel safer somehow. "I want to wish you the best of luck and-" He paused for a moment. The hood drooped slightly as if the man was looking down. It was a very human movement like he was searching for the right thing to say. "It's good to see you." He said, at last, his words came out rushed. He turned quickly and darted away. Rose tried to see where he took off, but he disappeared into the crowd without a trace. She clamped her parted lips together and thoughtfully regarded the small chest.

Could she really trust this thing enough to bring it into the TARDIS? What if it was a bomb or a tracker or any given thing designed to hurt them in some way. There was nothing about the mysterious man that warranted trust, but somewhere inside Rose felt like she could. Her initial reaction was to burn him with oil, but the more he spoke the more she felt like she had to heed his words. There was a familiar quality to him, though she was certain that voice held no real familiarity. She let out a big sigh and bent down to tuck the chest into the jumper she had stored below the table earlier in the day.

\----

The Doctor followed the young thief through the market. He'd somehow convinced the boy that he was concealing a weapon and that any efforts to run or lead him astray wouldn't be good for him but The Doctor never carried a weapon. He just kept his hands in his pockets and kept a cheery grin on his face as he followed the sulky looking teenager. For a split second, a figure caught The Doctor's eye. His eyes darted to the side and caught a glimpse of a person dressed all in black. He craned his head to look fully at the figure who appeared to be looking back at him. Time slowed, just for a moment, as the two regarded one another. They passed like two ships in the harbour, eyes locked onto each other like magnets.

"It's just down here." The kid said, causing The Doctor to snap back to reality and the task at hand. The kid took a left turn and pushed through several hanging tarps. The Doctor ducked and followed closely. The kid pointed to a wooden shack that looked to be akin to an outhouse, but once the door was open, a dark stairwell into the ground was revealed.

"Secret underground layer." The Doctor nodded approvingly. "Looks like we got a real baddie on our hands." He smiled and gestured for the kid to lead the way. Anxiously, the kid stepped into the darkness and The Doctor followed. The doors closed automatically behind them, and dim light bulbs slowly flicked to life in sequence down the stairs. The stairs didn't go down too far, and when they reached the bottom the young thief raised a hand to suggest there was something just around the corner. He leaned against the wall and tapped it with his finger.

"The boss." He mouthed and then tilted his head back. The Doctor leaned forward and glanced around the corner. There, coiled up like an old rope, was an enormous serpent-like creature. Its sleek skin was blood red in the dim electric light. The Doctor leaned back and patted the kid on the shoulder.

"Well done," He whispered. He pulled his mustache off and pressed it onto the boy's face rewardingly. "I'll take it from here." The kid nodded and ran up the stairs without so much as a glance back. The Doctor took a deep breath and stepped forward into the large room.

The first thing he noticed was the smell. His hand instinctively flew to his face as it hit him like a brick wall. A combination of decay and excrement. He mentally cursed his superior senses at that moment. He took a look around and noted that there was pirated junk littered all around the room. The kids would steal, and then just dump it as a sort of offering. The Doctor tip-toed silently over to one of the piles and examined it for Rose's wallet.

"Looking for something?" A silky voice crooned. The Doctor straightened his back as he listened to the sounds of soft movements in the room. Never one to show fear, he kept a confident stance and a cool expression. He turned to find that the snakes head was erect, and its body was uncoiling to release its tail. The serpent had no eyes or nose to speak of, just a mouth with a long tongue poking in and out as it tasted the air. "Come now, speak up. I know that you're here."

"Uh, yes," The Doctor offered awkwardly. "Just came by to check your lighting, seems a bit dark don't you think?" He tapped one of the glitchy bulbed with his index finger. "We'll fix that right up." He offered a grin and a wink. "Just have to grab my-" He looked around quickly. The serpent flicked its tail and The Doctor was struck by a familiar object. It was Rose's cheep velcro wallet. He opened it up to inspect that everything was there.

"That was what you wanted, wasn't it?" The serpent crooned.

"You wanted me to come for it." The Doctor stated. "Why?" The serpent moved slowly out of its coil and slithered itself around the room, surrounding The Doctor in its center.

"I look into all my vendors." He hissed. "You piqued my interest…"

"So this is your market?" The Doctor asked. The snake nodded its head smoothly and then lifted it from the ground so it could be at eye level with The Doctor. "Then why steal?"

"I'm a collector of sorts…" It responded. "but I do not pay for anything. It is beneath me."

"Ah." The Doctor said calmly as if he understood everything. "So I'll ask again, why did you want me down here?" The serpent began moving around the room again. It weaved in and out of itself slowly, The Doctor stepped over its massive body more than once as it did so.

"Time Lord…" The serpent hissed the words out in a whisper that seemed to go on forever. The Doctor remained expressionless. "I could hardly believe it, now that I have you here I can smell it's true."

"That's all you wanted then?" The Doctor asked, but was promptly ignored.

"I am an ancient species too." Its tongue poked in and out as its head came near. "It has been so long since your species extinction… longer than any living memory could recall. Present company excluded of course." The Doctor remained immobile, his eyes fixed on the wall ahead hoping his reaction to the new information wasn't all over his face. "It's impossible that you are here… and yet… here you stand. Accompanied by a human no less. How the mighty have fallen."

"I can think of worse companions." The Doctor said coldly. The serpent continued to move about the room, unfazed.

"You were Gods once." It hissed casually. "Then someone… put you in your place." The Doctor frowned.

"You lured me here just so you could laugh at me?" He spat angrily.

"Laugh at you? No." The snake coiled and lifted its head again. "I'm a collector, as I mentioned… a collector of rare things, Time Lord. You may be the rarest thing in the entire universe. The last of your kind…"

\----

Rose tapped her fingers on the table of the hot dog stand impatiently. It had been far too long since The Doctor had taken off to find her wallet. Part of her was worried that something had gone wrong, and the other part of her was just frustrated that she had to sit there. The hot dog business was not as well-received as The Doctor had hoped. Not a lot of people seemed to be very interested in them. She pulled her arm forward and checked her watch with a big sigh. He'd been gone nearly three hours.

Digging under the table, Rose retrieved a paper and marker and wrote the words 'Sorry, back in five!' In big letters. She set it on the table and weighed it down with the solar-powered dancing hot dog trinket The Doctor had displayed so proudly earlier that day. He assured her it would really attract people. It hadn't. She then took the cash box and slipped it under the table. With a satisfied nod at everything in the stall, she turned and exited out the back.

It didn't take her too long before she'd stumbled upon her scrawny thief. He was leaning against a wooden post and fiddling with some sort of toy between his two upper tentacles. Rose noticed immediately that he had on The Doctor's mustache. She charged forward and pounced on him before he had a second to even notice she was coming. They slammed hard onto the ground and Rose attempted to wrangle all four tentacles from flailing.

"Stop it!" She grunted as she tried to bunch them together like a bouquet. "Where is The Doctor? What have you done to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him, you crazy bird!" He wined as he tried to roll away. Rose clenched her thighs around his torso, her one hand had a firm grip on the tentacles while the other laid out a firm slap to his rubbery cheek.

"Where is he?" She asked again. "I know you were with him." She ripped off the mustache, causing the thief to shriek like a small child. She held the fake mustache and gave him a stern look.

"H-he made me take him!" He stammered. "He threatened me. Said I had to take him to see the boss."

"Right," Rose said firmly as she pulled herself off of his body and tugged him up by the tentacles. He was surprisingly light. "You're going to take me too then." His eyes grew wide.

"You hotdog people are insane!"

\----

The Doctor sat on a closed chest surrounded by antiques and treasures staring at his scaly captor. His hands were on his lap, balled into fists and his eyes remained unblinkingly focused. Once again, he was alone in the universe. He never dared to dream that this universe might be different, that if perhaps there was no Doctor, maybe there could be Time Lords. He couldn't allow himself to think about that, and yet here he was, just as disappointed as he would have been if he'd had any hope. The serpent was moving about the room sniffing at different artifacts and making quiet comments to himself as he went. It was almost as if he didn't remember that The Doctor was there. Just another piece of junk in his collection.

"Am I just to sit her forever then?" The Doctor asked. "With the other antiques?"

"Until I find a buyer." The snake hissed softly. "That won't take long." The Doctor nodded with evident irritation.

"Tell me something," The Doctor said as he leaned forward onto his knees. He couldn't help himself, he had to know. "You say no one remembers the Time Lords… does that mean no one remembers the Time War? Or the Daleks?" He had to know the difference between this universe and his own.

"Time war?" The serpent hissed curiously. "Not even I know of a time war." Its head began to slither towards The Doctor curiously. "Or the Daleks you speak of." The Doctor pursed his lips and looked away with a furrowed brow thoughtfully. It wasn't adding up.

"Then…" He began thoughtfully. "Then how were we taken out?" The serpent raised its head just in front of The Doctor's face. Its tongue darted out as it tasted the air around him.

"You don't know?"

"Afraid I don't." The Doctor admitted. The snakes head hovered in front of him for a few moments longer. Then it drooped down.

"You are a Time Lord… yet you do not remember…" The concept was blowing the serpent's mind. It moved around the room in a more urgent manner. "The Time Lords were all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing… high and mighty on their throws of gold. The universe turned against them. Ancient Gods turned to dust."

"Interference was against their policy…" The Doctor frowned.

"You say 'their' like you aren't one of them…" The serpent pointed out in a soothing hiss. The Doctor shrugged.

"Well, it's never really been my policy," He said. "But they were pretty keen on it…"

"I am starting to doubt your authenticity, Time Lord…" The serpent hissed in a voice that sounded harsher than before. "How could you not know these things?"

"You were the one that said I was a Time Lord, not me." The Doctor rebutted. "I'm just a humble hot dog vendor!" He held a hand to his chest defensively. The serpent's head popped up and its mouth snapped open to reveal three rows of sharp teeth. It hissed angrily.

"My scanners show, the data is there!" He spat. "If you are not a Time Lord then what are you?"

"I'm The Doctor." He replied and jumped to his feet. The serpent pulled its head back with another angry hiss. The Doctor's eyes shifted to a figure moving behind it. Someone was sneaking into the room. Rose!

"Well then, Doctor, perhaps the only value you can offer now is that of my dinner." The serpent lunged forward, it's mouth wide and hideous. Rose sprang into action, she grabbed an antique mirror and smashed it against the ground. The Doctor jumped to the side and the serpent quickly bent its neck before it hit the wall. It looped around to make another attack, seemingly unaware of the other person in the room. Rose picked up a large shard of glass and ran along the length of the serpent. It lunged forward again at The Doctor, and again it narrowly missed.

"I have to confess," The Doctor said as he hit the floor, dodging another attack. "A hot dog would be a tastier option." The serpent hissed angrily and made for another lunge. Rose sprang forward and jumped atop the serpent's head. It swung back and forth angrily. Rose tightened her thighs and wrapped one arm tightly around its head before pulling her free arm back and slamming the glass into the beast's head with all her strength. The serpent swished slowly one way, and then the next, before slamming down sloppily to the ground. Rose jumped backward to avoid the impact. She breathed heavily as the blood poured from the serpent's mouth. The Doctor gaped at her.

"Don't get moral on me." She said breathlessly. "It was going to kill you."

"Rose, that was a trillion-year-old serpent!" He said gesturing with both hands to the lifeless corpse. His arms dropped sadly as he wondered if it truly had been the last living thing to remember his people. He pursed his lips wondering if they'd really been as tyrannical as the serpent said… perhaps the memory was best lost.

"It was going to kill you!" Rose repeated, this time in a more shrill defensive tone. "If the tables were turned, you wouldn't have taken the chance! Maybe twelve years ago, but not now!"

"I was working out an escape!" The Doctor retorted, feeling a little attacked. "There's always a better way."

"I did what I had to do." Rose said confidently, her eyes wild with the leftover adrenaline. Her right hand was drenched in blood from an apparent gash to the palm, but she paid it no mind. The Doctor blinked, she had changed so much. "Everything has its time and everything dies, remember?" The Doctor nodded, his face strained. He hated having his own words used against him. He was mad at her, but he wasn't about to let her have it like he would have done in the past. He had changed a lot too. There was a long silence as they both stared at the lifeless serpent. Its huge body spread across the entire room in loops and curves, The Doctor and Rose divided by its featureless head. The Doctor shifted his gaze from the serpent to Rose's bloody hand and his stiffened shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Come here." He sighed. Rose obeyed silently, stepping around the head and over the pool of blood. The Doctor lifted her bloody hand and examined the deep gash. "Only an ape would use broken glass as a weapon." He said softly. Rose frowned at the insult but didn't speak. She knew how upset he was with her, she was grateful that an ape remark was the only thing she'd get. The Doctor dug into his jacket and pulled out a handkerchief that he wrapped tightly around her palm. "Keep that elevated till we get back to the TARDIS." He instructed, then turned away to make for the stairs.

Back in the market, the over-sized sun was beginning to sink into the horizon casting a warmer light on everything. The day's heat had eased off, and fewer shoppers moved about. Some stalls had lights up and still pushing for those last sales, others were packing it in for the day. Rose walked with her arm perched on top of her head, tired of holding it up in the air awkwardly. She followed behind The Doctor silently as he trudged down the main drag. His hands were in his pocket and his head was craned downwards looking at the ground. Rose felt a tinge of regret, maybe she shouldn't have killed the serpent, but at the moment it felt like her only option. Maybe she really was an ape.

"Ah, my friend!" A booming voice jarred both The Doctor and Rose from their brooding thoughts. They both turned their heads to see the large tusked vender from earlier waving them over. "I was beginning to worry you'd gone for the day." He smiled.

"Ah, yeah. Had some business to attend to and whatnot." The Doctor shrugged as he made his way over. "Most people would have taken the free food." The vendor shrugged modestly and gave a laugh.

"I always pay my debts." He said. "Please, have a look around." He turned and gestured to the books and antiques that sat all around him. The lawn chair he was squished into looked as if it were about to burst from his weight, and groaned as he moved his arms about dramatically. The Doctor grinned and took a brief scan of the merchandise. The vender then looked at Rose, she looked a little bored as she leaned all her weight onto one leg and perched her wounded hand over her head. The handkerchief now stained with blood. "You've had an accident!" He pointed at Rose's hand.

"Accident prone, that one." The Doctor said as he examined a large book. Rose frowned and stuck out her tongue at his back. The vendor laughed heartily, his chair groaning under his weight. The Doctor gave him a glance then held up the book.

"I'll take this one," he smiled. "If that's alright?" The vender nodded approvingly, his whole upper body rocking back and forth. Then he turned in his tiny chair and reached for another massive book.

"Perhaps this too will pique your interest." He offered The Doctor another thick old book. The Doctor took it in and glanced at the title. 'Desert planets of the Forty-Seventh Galaxy'. It wasn't really like the book he'd been looking at, but he knew he was just trying to be up-sold. The vender was a professional after all.

"How much?" The Doctor asked.

"Nothing, my friend!" The vender boomed. "It is yours! Your dogs were not only hot but delicious!" The Doctor quirked an eyebrow and looked the book over once again. With a shrug, he tucked both books under his arm and shook the vender's hand.

"Thank you, sir." The Doctor smiled. He turned back to Rose and regarded the blood-stained handkerchief above her head. "We better get back and look at that hand." With that and a wave from each, the two were gone. The vendor smiled at their retreating figures and leaned back in his creaky chair. Something snapped beneath him and he sank slightly to the right.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This could be our only one time   
Riding free with you   
For lovers and until the end   
Be by my side, for forever and always

Back once again on the worn-out dentist's chair in the infirmary, Rose sat impatiently waiting for her hand to be repaired. A funny sort of device that was very reminiscent of a primary school projector was poised over her hand casting a beam of light that acted very much like the nanogenes from their time in the Blitz. Much like everything else on the TARDIS, it looked busted, worn and more than likely homemade. Little shimmering lights danced across her palm as the skin slowly stitched itself together like magic. The Doctor was off in the corner somewhere out of Rose's sight fiddling with a strange device. She sighed loudly and began clicking her tongue like a restless child. Her hand felt hot and itchy as the little lights continued to do their job.

"Are you still mad at me?" Rose asked as she tried to turn her head to see The Doctor. He was still just out of sight, but he tucked away the device into his jacket and stood up to walk over to her.

"No." He stated flatly. Rose frowned, not really believing his words. He came around to her side and inspected her hand with the coolness of an unfriendly physician. Rose stared at him thoughtfully.

"Why Doctor?" She asked suddenly.

"Why what?" He asked, his eyes still on her slowly repairing hand.

"No, I mean, why 'Doctor'?" She clarified. "Why call yourself Doctor?" The Doctor looked up at her with a curious stare, but he didn't answer. "You never told me."

"Just what I chose." The Doctor shrugged.

"Will you ever tell me your real name?" She asked softly, knowing full well what the answer would be.

"That is my real name." The Doctor replied predictably. He looked back at her hands to avoid her quizzical gaze, then sighed and sat down on the edge of the chair. "It's too long and you'd never be able to pronounce it. Lots of people change their names for the same reasons." Rose nodded, accepting that perhaps he wasn't hiding anything behind it. It was more than she expected to get out of him and she was satisfied with that. "Why Bad Wolf?" The Doctor asked catching Rose off guard. She crinkled her nose.

"Haven't heard that name in a long time." It felt weird to hear it again. She tried to think back. "I have no idea… she named herself." Rose shrugged and glanced at her hand. It appeared to be fully healed, she clenched and released it a few times to be sure. The Doctor looked at her hand as well and switched off the machine.

"'She' is you." The Doctor corrected as he moved the machine over to the wall and out of the way.

"No, I don't think so." Rose shook her head. "Just took host in me… Whatever that was, it's a memory now." The Doctor made a thoughtful hum but dropped the subject. He helped Rose off the dentist's chair and she wiggled her fingers experimentally. "Good as new." She smiled, observing the seamless work of the machine on her palm. She looked up at The Doctor who was also admiring her hand and offered him a hug of thanks. He accepted it and rubbed her back comfortingly. Rose held tight, her chin deep in The Doctor's leather shoulder, she let out a loud sigh. "Before we head off again to… who knows where, do you think I could squeeze in a nap?"

"You humans," The Doctor frowned and Rose pulled back slowly from their embrace. "You sleep your lives away." Rose shrugged.

"Give you some time to think up our next wild goose chase." She turned and headed for the door. "Did you even get anything out of that whole hot dog experience?" She asked as she hovered at the door. The Doctor shrugged casually.

"Think I've got a few leads…" Rose looked unimpressed and unconvinced. "At the very least I now know why there's never been a Doctor in this universe." Rose nodded sadly, having caught that last bit of his conversation with the serpent. "Did you learn anything?" He sounded a little hopeful, but Rose shook her head.

"Nothing but casual conversation with some friendly aliens." She lied. Her mind instantly thought of the little chest she had hidden in her jumper. She wanted to get it hidden away in her room before The Doctor was able to discover it and start asking questions. Part of her wanted to tell him about it, but the other part believed in the cloaked figure and wanted to heed his words. The Doctor nodded, and Rose slipped away into the hallway.

\----

In her bedroom, Rose sat at the edge of her bed and turned the small chest around in her hands thoughtfully. She tried to figure out how she would know it was safe to open it, how would she know a life-threatening event was about to happen? She felt pretty strongly about opening it right then, was that all it took? Her gut said no. She sighed and leaned back in her bed to tuck the chest away in her nightstand. She remained sprawled on her bed as she thought about the potential danger of storing it there. Surely the TARDIS would sense trouble and want it removed if it were any danger. That thought gave her comfort as she flipped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

A little redecorating had been done to her room. Mostly in the form of a purge. No longer was she a sloppy teenager with a love of bright colours and lots of useless junk. She was more of a minimalist now. That was more trendy in her time period. Instead of makeup scattered everywhere, she had a small box with her most used items that sat nicely on her vanity. Instead of clothes tossed everywhere, she actually utilized a hamper and sorted her clothes away properly into drawers. Instead of pictures pinned all over her walls, she had two framed pictures beside her bed. One of her family, and the one picture she had of The Doctor that had hung on her wall before. The other photos had been organized into an album and sat on her dresser awaiting a sentimental moment.

She sighed loudly as she felt the weight of her age. It was evident in the room, it was evident on her face, it was evident in the way she felt after a long day of slinging dogs. She wasn't that old, and she'd never really felt it before, but somehow being on the TARDIS again, relating it to when she was nineteen, it made her feel a hundred years old. Part of her had hoped they would find a way to keep her young, then maybe she wouldn't feel like garbage. The other part of her knew that was selfish and crazy. Thirty was the new twenty anyway. The whole thing was crazy, but she went along with it for The Doctor's sake. She knew they'd never find anything, and if they really wanted it bad enough there would surely be technology that could achieve it. It was all part of the healing process for The Doctor. For both of them. Or more truthfully, It was just one big distraction.

The words of the cloaked stranger came back to her. She wouldn't need it anyway. What did that mean? Her brow furrowed as she searched the ceiling for answers. The only thought that came was the thought that her life was about to end. Her heart beat fast as she considered this moment to be part of her final days, and the tiredness she felt previously had completely escaped her.

\----

In the soft green light of the core, The Doctor sat in his jump seat and fidgeted again with the curious device from his pocket. It was the strange pyramid he'd found in the pile of junk at the market. His fingers moved along its carved surface gently, as if trying to caress the secrets out of it. He sighed and shoved it back into his pocket unceremoniously. His legs were propped up on the console and his arms were crossed against his chest. He tapped at his lips thoughtfully as he stared at the glowing green column. The day's events weighing heavily on his mind.

The Time Lords were all gone, only this time, in this universe, he wasn't to blame. It wasn't hard to see how their species could go down that path, but it was hard to believe they'd been taken out in such a way. It was also hard for him to wrap his brain around the fact that everything had seemed to turn out so similarly. All the things he'd done, the lives he'd saved, the invasions he'd prevented… and Earth, as an example, had remained basically the same. It made him question everything he'd done. It made him wonder if perhaps he might be the cause for so much trouble. Was he really stopping the dangers, or did the dangers exist for him to stop them? It was a concept that made his headache.

He decided to take a walk. Slipping from the jump seat and slowly making his way to the hallway. He focused on the floors and the walls of the hall, anything to keep his mind busy. Perhaps he would find something to work on, take something apart and put it back together. That was his usual method for avoiding thoughts that bothered him. Instead, he found himself hovering outside Rose's door. He leaned heavily on the frame as he considered what he was doing there. His relationship with Rose was so complicated now. They were together, or were they? Still referring to each other as mates, but sharing kisses and hugs freely. Still sleeping in separate beds, but discussing forever as if a married couple. They had just sort of slipped into those roles without much thought or discussion on the subject. Perhaps that was how things like that were supposed to work. Let them just sort of happen.

Clinging to her doorframe, The Doctor wondered if going inside was a natural thing to do or crossing a line. He shook his head and ran a hand roughly down his face. He knew things didn't just happen, someone had to start something for anything to happen. You don't move because it's supposed to happen, you move because you've made a conscious step and then another. His hand hovered over the door, prepped to knock, as he licked his lips anxiously. A sudden surge of confidence hit him as he remembered all those years of regret. Then suddenly, just as his hand was about to strike, he noticed the soft singing from inside.

Rose was awake and singing softly to herself, just on the other side of the door. The Doctor tapped softly at the door and pushed it open with a gentle shove. Rose was laying on her bed staring at the ceiling fully clothed. Her arms were folded over her stomach. The singing had stopped, she craned her neck down to observe him, and smiled. He crossed his arms and leaned against the door, his effort at being a cool character.

"Don't tell me," She said as she propped herself up on her arms. "You've already figured out where you want to go?" The Doctor shook his head.

"Not quite. Still working on that." He answered. She tilted her head to the side as if trying to read his mind. Then she pulled herself upright and sat on the edge of her bed. She tapped it invitingly and smiled.

"Well come in then." She offered. The Doctor smiled and took one step forward before throwing himself like a rag doll onto her bed. Rose laughed and swatted him playfully. "You're like a cat. Come and find the human when you're bored or hungry." The Doctor laughed and rolled onto his side. He propped his head up casually with his hand and Rose glanced back at him.

"I've had your cooking, think I'm fine on my own, thanks."

"A lot has changed!" Rose defended with a grin. "I can make a lot more than pasta and grilled cheese."

"Is that so?" The Doctor egged her on with a patronizing tone.

"Yeah," Rose confirmed. "I'm a proper adult now." The Doctor scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Still just a blink of an eye to me." He grinned. "I was a kid until I was at least a hundred years old." Rose looked genuinely surprised at that. "Well not physically, but, you know." She rolled her eyes.

"In that case, you're still a kid." She laughed at herself then leaned back to lay beside him on the bed. He studied the side of her face carefully, she was still the same Rose in his eyes. She rolled onto her side to be face to face with him and they stared at each other silently. There was a strange mood building, something like anticipation in the air.

"What was that you were singing?" The Doctor asked quietly. Rose looked a little embarrassed.

"Oh, you heard?" She smiled a little and averted her eyes. "Hey Jude, you know, The Beatles?" The Doctor nodded his recognition of the band. "Nothing special or anything, just in my head. It's a pretty good tune, reminds me a little of you." The Doctor smiled.

"You should sing more often." Rose felt warmth in her cheeks as she bit her lip. The look he was giving her was so appreciative, so adoring, she didn't deserve it. She was rubbish at singing, but here he was, acting like she was the next Billie Piper. It made her feel like a teenager again. Her fingers reached out and gently touched his as they lay positioned between them. He responded immediately to her touch and took her small hand in his large one.

"Doctor," Rose whispered as she studied his eyes and then for the briefest of moments, his lips. "I told you once… that I loved you." The Doctor squeezed her hand tenderly.

"And now?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"That love traveled all across time and space, laughed in the face of death, and even survived alternate universes. That's got to be the strongest love there is." Rose's eyes were becoming glassy, she blinked hard a few times as she let out a little laugh. The Doctor pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it softly. The gentle gesture caused butterflies in Rose's stomach.

"Maybe strong enough to punch a hole into the time vortex." The Doctor mumbled into her knuckles. Rose barely registered his words. Her heart was racing so fast she couldn't focus. The Doctor's eyes flicked up to meet hers as he began to kiss down her arm. Rose melted under those eyes, she shivered as his lips tickled her flesh. Something was happening, something was finally happening and it was almost too unbelievable to comprehend. Her eyelids fluttered closed as The Doctor leaned in and cupped her cheek. His kiss was gentle and sweet at first, testing the waters of the situation, but Rose wanted to take it to the next level. She shifted her body closer to his and reached a hand down to his waist to pull him closer still. Kissing was the main focus, but they'd kissed before. It occurred to her that she would need to take charge in this situation, The Doctor would still be unsure. She swung a leg over his hip and pulled him in till they were touching. Their lips only broke for gasps of air, The Doctor's hands were in her hair and on her back as she pulled her body on top of his in a quick powerful movement that knocked him flat on his back.

Tonight was going to be one they'd never forget. Hopefully the start of a string of similar nights. Their hearts pounded out a rhythm that their hurried breaths sang a chorus to. If their relationship was ambiguous before, it was clear as day now. They were best mates, they were traveling companions, and they were lovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song lyrics from the summary are from "Girl (ft. Seawaves)" by Timecop1983. Very fitting.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't stop me now  
I'm having such a good time

Several days had passed since the event in Rose's bedroom. The Doctor didn't seem to be in any rush to move along, and Rose didn't seem to mind it. He spent a lot of his time humming cheerfully and puttering around the TARDIS looking for minor things to fix. Usually whatever was in the immediate area of Rose. He'd often come up with whatever excuse he could to initiate another round of love making, and almost every time Rose found herself unable to deny him. They were like honeymooners, addicted to each other and caught up in the bliss. Why they hadn't done it sooner was a mystery they no longer wanted to dwell on. Everything was a perfect dream, and they wanted to keep sleeping a little longer.

In those days, it almost seemed as if The Doctor had forgotten his mission to find an apparent cure for Rose's aging, but every so often Rose would catch him looking into it again. The illusion break that reminded her she was still in reality. She knew this taste of domestic paradise wasn't enough for him, she'd seen that play out already… and this Doctor was so obsessed with losing her that she knew he'd never let that go. She wished she could offer some kind of solution for his pain but there was nothing. Especially with the tiny chest in her night stand serving as a constant reminder that it would all be taken from him soon.

Rose sighed thoughtfully as she watched The Doctor attempt to clean up the console. She was perched on the jump seat with a book in hand that she had no real interest in at the moment. The console was an utter mess, the product of a genius and a madman. The whole control room seemed to be a dingy cobbled together reflection of the mess of a man that inhabited it. While dusting with what appeared to be an old shirt, The Doctor had accidentally knocked off the dislocated arm of an action figure that was serving the place of a lever. He cursed and retrieved a glue gun from inside his bottomless jacket pocket and proceeded to plug it into an outlet somewhere on the console. He eyed the arm carefully as he waited for the gun to heat. Rose smiled, she loved watching him. He could be the most clever man in the universe, but there was something so adorably simple about him. Like a child, given all the secrets of the universe. He knelt forward and furrowed his brow in concentration as he fused the plastic arm to the remaining stub of the lever with the hot glue. His tongue perched between his teeth in a way that assured success in accuracy. Then, with careful movements, he set down the gun and held the arm gently while he blew on the glue to cool it. Rose leaned forward and bit her lip as if she were watching the most crucial match of the year. The Doctor looked up at her and grinned as if performing an impressive feat, he slowly removed his hands and then carefully backed away. They both looked at the arm with great triumph in their eyes.

"Masterful." Rose clapped.

"Thanks." The Doctor puffed out his chest. The moment was cut short, however, as a sudden sound of beeping caused him to deflate. His smile dropped and he rushed over to the monitor. Rose hopped up to join him. It was the first time in a very long time that the TARDIS had made a sound like that, it instantly reminded her of the distress call Jack answered. Could someone be calling for help again? The Doctor was hunched over the screen with a look of concentration, Rose leaned over his shoulder and draped her arm around him.

"What's happening?" She asked as she looked at the strange geometric shapes flashing across the screen. The Doctor turned his head to smile at her.

"Minor emergency on some daft primitive planet."

"Earth?"

"Yupp." He grinned playfully. "Year nineteen ninety-seven"

"I was just a kid" Rose smiled as she thought back on the memories. "This seems oddly familiar, doesn't it? Like Deja Vu, only no Russians… maybe." She let out a little laugh but The Doctor didn't seem to acknowledge what she meant. Maybe he didn't want to remember Jack. "Well, what's the emergency? Can we help?"

"It's a distress call, a ships just crash-landed…"

"Well, at the very least, I think we should go down there to check for survivors," Rose suggested even though she was pretty sure she was being ignored. "Just a quick peek… you know, in case it's anything like last time…" There was still no response, Rose sighed. "Where did it land?" The Doctor spun around to look rose in the eye.

"The United States, Louisiana…" He didn't make any moves to get things into motion. "You really want to check it out? We really should get back to the search…"

"Of course I do!" Rose blurted. "Go on, get us down there! The last thing we need is an alien species seeing the States as their first taste of Earth." She gave The Doctor a light playful spur in the shoulder to get him moving. He turned and grinned as he flicked a few switches then walked around the console to pull down the newly repaired lever. It snapped off again.

"Bugger!" The Doctor cursed.

\----

When the TARDIS did land, it was in the heart of a swamp. Proudly she sat atop an old stump, completely surrounded by fowl muddy waters. The Doctor pulled open the door and took a commanding step outwards, upon seeing his predicament his hands flew up to try to brace himself on the door frame. He narrowly missed and teetered on the verge of falling in, Rose clasped onto the back of his jacket and hauled backward with all her might.

"Bloody hell!" She wheezed as The Doctor fell backward onto her. She lost her footing and they both tumbled back onto the grating.

"Sorry." The Doctor offered with little feeling as he jumped to his feet and dusted himself off. Rose frowned as she fumbled to find her own feet. Mumbling curses under her breath at the lack of gratitude.

"Got a bit ahead of yourself, did you?" Rose asked as she peeked out the door at the swamp. The Doctor didn't respond, when Rose turned to look back at him he was gone. With vague curiosity, Rose moved back into the TARDIS and looked around. "Doctor?" A few seconds later The Doctor barrelled back into the room with a fishing boat over his head. "Where did you-" She began to ask but her words faded away, it didn't really matter. The Doctor dropped the boat onto the floor and shook a bag from his shoulder.

"Right," He said as he opened the bag. "We've got sunscreen, shark repellent, bug spray, aloe vera, something akin to aloe vera but purple, a cassette player, a table tennis bat, jelly babies and…" he dug deep into the bag as if he were Mary Poppins herself. "A harpoon." He pulled out the sharp end briefly before shoving it back in. Then he looked up at Rose. "Come along then, we've got a search and rescue on our hands." Rose stared at him blankly before jumping into action. They carefully set the boat into the water, and then The Doctor held it steady so Rose could get in.

"You didn't happen to have fishing poles?" Rosed asked in jest as she got comfortable on the wooden seat.

"Rose, lives could be in danger. Get some perspective." He leaned back inside the TARDIS and produced a picnic basket and handed it to her.

"Where did this come from?" Rose asked in complete bewilderment. The Doctor didn't answer, he carefully stepped inside the boat and grinned at her. With a heavy sigh, she set the basket between them next to the bag. The boat began to putter along, drifting away from the TARDIS that seemed so out of place on its stump. Rose turned and let the slight breeze catch her hair.

The swamp was in absolute gloom, it was hot and foggy and filled with little bugs that bopped along the water's surface. Below was a complete mystery. There was no telling how deep the swamp went. If a ship had crashed there it was likely it could be completely underneath them with no survivors. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and tapped at it a few times, then pointed it towards the water.

"Ah, too much going on down there." He mumbled as he tapped it again and stuck it in his pocket.

"Maybe there's a town or a village nearby that we can ask. Surely they'd notice a spaceship crashing." She leaned over the side of the boat to peer into the water, but it was far too soupy to see anything. The Doctor scoffed.

"So now you're on board for asking around?" Rose glanced over at him with an unimpressed expression. She was about to react when something lunged out of the water at her. Rose flung herself backward as massive jaws clamped on the side of the boat. The Doctor quickly leaned forward and to the side to counter the shift in weight. "That's an alligator!" He said with a surprised smile. "Fantastic!"

"This great dirty alligator is going to flip us over and have us for lunch, Doctor!" Rose shouted as she kicked at the beast's mouth. "Where's that harpoon?!" Her hands were clenched tightly on the edge of the boat, her hair was nearly in the water as the alligator tipped it further and further. The Doctor calmly pulled out his sonic screwdriver and gently pressed it to the creature's skin between its wide-set eyes. It instantly began to ease off, and eventually slipped away into the water. Rose breathed heavily, her heart racing. "What did you do to it?"

"Put it to sleep." The Doctor replied simply and tucked his screwdriver away once more. "Little vibrations to the temple, calmed it right down. Enough to slip off to dream land." He gave her a grin. Rose touched her hand to her forehead and let out a small anxious laugh.

"Hey! You out there!" Rose and The Doctor perked up and began searching around for the voice that had called out to them. At first, it seemed like the voice came from thin air. "Not exactly the best place for romancing!" Just ahead, a similar boat to their own drifted into view. A middle-aged man with dark skin and a straw hat floated towards them through a curtain of weeping willow branches.

"We're hardly out here for romance." Rose crinkled her nose. As the boat neared closer the man looked in at their bag and picnic basket, then back to Rose suspiciously. She pursed her lip and looked at The Doctor. "This is the worst date I've ever been on." She said suddenly, much to The Doctor's surprise.

"Thought you like a bit of adventure." The Doctor shrugged, then turned to the old man. "Never satisfied."

"You two aren't from around here, I'm guessing." The old man laughed. "These waters are gator filled, you better get on back to the shore."

"What about you? You're all alone?" Rose asked in a gentle tone.

"Oh I'm alright, I live on this swamp." The old man shrugged. "I'm on these waters nearly every day." The Doctor glanced into his boat and took note of the shot guns and hunting knives sitting between his feet.

"Have you heard anything unusual around here lately?" The Doctor asked.

"Unusual?" The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, yeah. Some kind of freak storm hit here not too long ago. Maybe a week or two back." Rose shot The Doctor a look of concern, that was a long time. "Never felt a rumble like that before. I tell you, the lightning must have struck outside my door! Just rattled me through the core, you know?" Rose nodded politely. "Never did figure out where it touched down."

"Anyone come out to take a look?" The Doctor asked.

"Naw, just a bit of weather." The old man shrugged, then frowned and closed his eyes against the bright morning sun. "Besides, last thing we need is law enforcement tramping around in here." He opened one eye wide and looked The Doctor up and down with it. "You two better not be cops." The Doctor held a hand up and smiled.

"No, no. We're actually ehm-" He looked at Rose for backup but she gave him an awkward shrug. "Authors." He beamed. "We write thriller novels. Just looking for a bit of inspiration out here." The man nodded.

"Oh, well, in that case, I got your next hit right here." The old man lifted his leg up and yanked back his trousers with gusto. His leg was a mangled mess of scar tissue that made Rose instinctively wrinkle her nose. The Doctor gave an expression of mild impress. "Gator came up on me, dragged me down by the leg. I got the upper hand though! They try to wrestle you down, you gotta be tougher." He lifted his fist into the air proudly. "This here? This is the right hook that knocked out Tommy Johnston back in sixty-two. Lights out. Same for the gator." He nodded his head proudly. "I swam up to shore and crawled my way into town."

"Incredible story." The Doctor said politely.

"You weren't writing nothing down." The old man pointed out.

"Oh, it's all in here." The Doctor pointed to his head. The old man nodded.

"Just don't use my name. I don't need the government looking into me or nothing. You understand." The Doctor nodded as the man rolled his trousers back down. Rose cleared her throat.

"You mentioned a town, is it far from here?" She asked in a sweet tone.

"Just keep going that way." The man pointed through the willow branches. "You'll come to the road again. Head East for about ten minutes. You'll be there." They offered their thanks and parted ways.

"There are sandwiches in the picnic basket if you want." The Doctor offered as the boat slipped into the weeping willow. "Egg salad." Rose shot him a look.

"Don't talk to me about food right now."

\----

The sun was high over the town when The Doctor and Rose rode in on the back of an old pick-up truck. They hopped off at a stop sign and waved their thanks to the driver who tipped his cap. It was a much larger town than either of them had expected, and it seemed to be brimming with life. People popped in and out of small shops with bits of this or that, neighbours conversing with each other on street corners, kids running around. It was like an image from a post card. Untouched by time since the fifties or sixties. It was likely, just based on the atmosphere, that an alien survivor had not been discovered. Rose tried to remain hopeful.

"Where should we start, Doctor?" Rose asked as they walked side by side up the cheery sidewalk.

"In a town like this, there's liable to be gossip." He replied as his eyes scanned the streets and shop windows critically. "Where is the best place to get gossip in a small town?" Rose pursed her lips thoughtfully and looked around.

"The pub?" She offered.

"Bit early in the day." The Doctor rebutted. Then he caught a glimpse of a diner and he smiled. "That's the one." He nodded at it and Rose followed his gesture.

The Doctor took Rose's hand in his and crossed the street with a brief look to the left and the right. The diner was a vintage-looking place with peeling turquoise paint on the outside. They pushed the doors open in unison and surveyed the setting with interest. The floors were classic checkerboard, the booths were battered and worn, and in them were anything from teens to families to elders. There was a counter around the centre with a waitress floating behind it drying dishes and waiting on orders. She flashed them a smile when they walked in and told them to sit anywhere. The Doctor opted for a seat at the counter, hoping it might make him more approachable to locals. Rose sat down next to him and set the large bag with all the random junk in it beside her. She swiveled experimentally on her stool with glee.

"What can I get you, honey?" The waitress asked with a pen and pad poised in her hands. She looked a little bored or a little tired, maybe a bit of both. Rose picked up a menu and scanned it quickly.

"Vanilla malt shake, please! And chips." Rose answered excitedly and gave a big grin. The Doctor gave her a look but she ignored it. She'd always heard that American's had the best shakes… or really any sort of food that was bad for you. It was the land of yummy food stuffs. Even their breakfast cereals were candy.

"Chips?" The waitress asked with a hint of confusion. "Like, you want a bag of potato chips? Because you'll have to go to the general store for that one."

"Sorry, she means french fries." The Doctor clarified with a big grin. "Tourists." He added with a little shrug when the woman gave him a quirked eyebrow. "I'll just have a tea, please." The waitress nodded and turned around to place the order.

"I'm surprised the TARDIS didn't translate." Rose leaned on casually onto her hand.

"Why would she? You're both speaking English." The Doctor shrugged and reached for a piece of paper that was sitting nearby. It appeared to be a one-page daily newsletter with the community events and a little comic. The Doctor smiled as his eyes scanned it over, then he flipped it to show Rose. "Look at this cheeky fellow." The Doctor pointed at an adorably drawn alligator popping out of a toilet. "Remind you of anyone?" Rose quickly pulled it from his hands.

"Why is he in the loo?" She asked, her smile revealing her appreciation for how cute the little creature was.

"Some broad said she saw a gator crawl out of the sewer a couple of days ago." A man who was sitting a few stools down from The Doctor answered. He was an overweight man with a trucker's hat and a ten-day beard. "The town's all abuzz about it."

"Is it true?" Rose asked curiously. The man shrugged and took a sip of his coffee.

"Gators in the can, Lord knows." He turned to give them a proper greeting. "The names Jim." He said offering his pudgy fingers to The Doctor, and nodded to Rose.

"Rose Tyler, this is The Doctor." Rose introduced them to save The Doctor some explanation.

"You call your husband The Doctor?" He asked with a laugh. "The English. I'll never understand you people. So proper…" Rose and The Doctor looked at each other with a smile. "What brings you across the pond?"

"We like to travel." The Doctor shrugged.

"We're writers, traveling gives us inspiration," Rose added, remembering the back story The Doctor had given before.

"Doctor and a writer. Hoo-hah." The man was impressed, he leaned back on his stool to take The Doctor in fully. Rose eyed The Doctor with an entertained smile, she knew he liked to impress people, but this wasn't his usual brand. He offered a smile and gave a shrug.

"I fill my days." He said as a teacup slid in front of him and filled with hot water. "So Jim, alligators is it? Ever been a problem before?"

"You get the odd one in someone's pool now and then, but nothing to kick up a fuss about. They're everywhere." Jim replied with an honest shrug. "I guess some people are getting all worked up about the whole unknown element, you know?" The Doctor nodded. Rose finally got her shake and chips and began digging in with the eagerness of a child. The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her, then reached a casual hand to steal some of her chips. Rose cast him a dirty look but he ignored her.

"When that woman reported the gator, did she say anything more about it?" The Doctor pried. "Did it do anything?" Jim squinted and looked up at the ceiling fan above his head.

"Might've eaten her cat or some damn thing." He said. Rose clutched her head suddenly and squeezed her eyes shut. The Doctor spun around to look at her.

"Brain freeze." She muttered.

"Hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth." The Doctor instructed flatly, then took the shake away and began to drink out of it. "That ever happen before? The cat." The Doctor suddenly looked displeased with the shake. "Better with bananas." He muttered as he set it aside.

"Pets go missing all the time," Jim replied and The Doctor nodded.

"Quick! Someone help!" A woman burst through the doors of the diner with a frantic look on her face. Everyone in the diner turned to look. "She's been bitten!"

"This man here's a Doctor," Jim said loudly and pointed to The Doctor who'd turned on his stool to observe the scene. The woman's eyes fell to him. Feeling a little annoyed at someone thrusting his help forward, The Doctor awkwardly pursed his lips and nodded to signal the information was true.

"Please sir, you've gotta help!" The woman pleaded, practically running over to him. The Doctor turned slightly and gulped down the last of his tea. He stood up and dug in his pocket for money then tossed it onto the counter without looking back. Within seconds he was following the woman out the door. Rose scooped the last handful of chips from the basket, took another big slurp of her shake and grabbed their bag off the stool before charging after him.

Once outside they could see a small crowd was gathering only a block away. A woman was yelling, but her words were unclear due to all the talking from the people around her. The woman who'd retrieved The Doctor pushed through the crowd and cleared a path for him. Once through, he could see a woman with a massive bite to her leg. The Doctor instantly crouched down to examine it.

"Hello, I'm The Doctor." He offered sweetly. "May I, miss-?"

"Florence, go on!" The woman replied frantically. The Doctor nodded and took a look at the wound. His brow furrowed as he examined the radius of the bite, something wasn't right there.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Damn gator!" She howled. "It come up and bit me!" The Doctor looked down at the leg again. "Walking home for lunch, damn thing popped out the grate like a Jack-in-the-Box." The bite wasn't large enough to be an alligator, its jaws would have easily gone around the leg and broken it. He thought back to the old man in the swamp, his whole leg had been severely damaged. One could imagine what it might have looked like that the time, and in comparison, this was completely different. This was an actual bite. Teeth marks had sunk into the skin and left deep bleeding imprints in a sort of circular shape, much like a human's bite. The other thing that trouble The Doctor was that the jaw hadn't been strong enough to take an actual chunk out. She was able to fight it off. There was no way this was an alligator attack. Something else was living in the sewers and eating cats.

"Has someone called for an ambulance?" The Doctor asked as he looked up into the crowd.

"I did." The woman who'd charged into the diner said.

"Right," The Doctor nodded. "Miss Florence, you're going to be just fine." He pulled a handkerchief from inside his jacket and wrapped it around her leg tightly over the wound just as he had with Rose at the market. "Just needs to be cleaned and wrapped. All in all, I'd say you got pretty lucky."

"Lucky my ass." The woman spat. "Of all the people gonna get bit by a sewer gator." She grumbled and the crowd around her laughed. The Doctor gave her a smile and patted her knee gently.

Rose was on the outside of the group. She was perched on her tiptoes trying to get a good look at what was happening but didn't feel important enough to try to push her way through. She needed to figure out her own way to help, something didn't sound right about the whole thing. She glanced to her side where a young man was also trying to catch a peek through the crowd. She sunk down into her sneakers and tapped him on the arm politely.

"Do you have any idea where this happened?" She asked. The young man turned and pointed down the street.

"Think she said Kennel Ave." He responded.

"Thanks," She smiled. "Could you do me a favour? When The Doctor is finished could you tell him where I've gone?" The young man nodded his head and Rose took off running, heavy bag in tow.

Kennel Ave was only a block away. With everyone gathering around the crowd by the diner this specific area was left pretty well abandoned. When Rose had reached the cross street she paused and looked both ways to determine where she might find some evidence of whatever happened. This area was a little more residential, with little one floor houses all lined up in rows. Both ways seemed pretty normal, Rose clicked her tongue as she tried to notice any little details out of place… what had that woman said? It came from the sewer? In the distance, Rose could see a grate that looked like it had been dislodged from the ground. She jogged towards it, then slowed as she came closer. There were drops of blood on and around the grate, and traces of something that looked like slime. Rose dropped the heavy bag to the cement beside her and bent down to get a better look. She reached a finger out to the slime but came up short.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A tiny voice caused Rose to jerk her head up. Standing on the sidewalk, looking down at her was a tiny child sucking his thumb. Surely he hadn't been there before, Rose thought. He couldn't have been older than four. In his free hand, he held an action figure loosely. He was cute as a button with dark skin, buzzed hair, and wide eyes. He reminded Rose of Mickey as a child, and she smiled at him warmly.

"What's that, sweetheart?" She asked gently.

"There's a monster down there." The child warned her and pointed with his action figure at the uncovered grate hole. Rose looked down into the darkness briefly.

"Did you see it?" She asked as she stood up and came over to the boy. He nodded his head as she neared. "Can I ask what you saw?" Rose knelt down to be at eye level with him. When the boy didn't respond she glanced down at his little figure. "Who's this then?" She offered him another warm smile.

"Winston." The boy answered. Rose let out a small laugh.

"Like Churchill?" The boy frowned at her as if she'd offended him greatly.

"No. He's Winston. The Ghostbuster." He thrust the little toy man towards Rose's face so she could see his uniform clearer.

"Ah," Rose said as she tilted her head back to see the toy better. "My mistake." The child pulled the toy away and hung it by his side again. "And what's your name?"

"Jacob." He answered softly. "Like the bible." Rose nodded.

"I'm Rose." Rose offered her hand. "Like the flower." Jacob smiled at her and shook her hand vigorously like a true grown-up. Rose gave a little chuckle and crossed her arms over her knees. "Now Jacob, is there anything you or Winston can tell me about this monster?" He looked anxiously over to the grate. "Was it an alligator you saw?" She asked and tilted her head to the side. He shook his head and Rose pursed her lips.

Just then a noise began to gurgle from the hole to the sewers. Both Rose and Jacob jerked their heads to the side to look at it. Rose took a brave step forward towards the grate, her hand protectively on Jacob's chest to keep him back. She leaned in and squinted into the darkness, something was definitely moving down there. Her eyes strained to focus on it. Then suddenly a hand gripped her shoulder and she let out a scream. Jumping back from the hole and tumbling onto her rear, she looked up to see the smiling face of The Doctor looking down at her.

"A woman got her leg bit from something popping out of a sewer, and you're over here sticking your head into it." The Doctor sighed as he held his hand out to help her to her feet. Rose rolled her eyes and accepted his help. "Hello, who's this?" The Doctor turned his attention to the adorable Jacob, standing silently still.

"This is Jacob, and his friend Winston," Rose replied. Jacob held out Winston to be appreciated and The Doctor nodded his approval.

"Hello boys, I'm The Doctor. Nice to meet you!" He crouched down and offered his hand. Jacob shook it with a shy eagerness. The Doctor looked around and found that the street was quite empty. "Where are your parents, Jacob?"

"Mommy got bit," Jacob replied quietly. "Told me to run home and stay in the house… but then I saw the lady looking and I had to come out and warn her." The Doctor grinned.

"I appreciate that, Jacob. Rose often needs looking after."

"Hey!" Rose crossed her arms. "You're going to get a slap, you are." The Doctor looked at Jacob with a silly face that conveyed he wasn't afraid and then laughed, causing Jacob to smile shyly. He liked his laugh. "Well anyway, my hero," Rose said softer as she rubbed a hand playfully over Jacob's short hair.

"I just saw your Mummy," The Doctor offered. "I sent her off in the ambulance to get all better. She should be back soon."

"Do you have anyone we can call? Daddy or grandparents?" Jacob shook his head and Rose tried not to let a sad look cross over her face. "Well then, you and Winston will just have to stay with me for now." The Doctor cranked his head to look up at her and she gave his heel a little kick with her shoe. He turned back to look at Jacob and smiled.

"How's that? I'll leave my Rose in your care. You will keep her safe for me?" Jacob nodded. "That's a good lad." The Doctor patted Jacob's shoulder gently and stood up tall. "I'm going down there to check out this so-called 'alligator problem'. You stay here with him, keep an eye on the grates. If anything happens, call me."

"With what?"

"I got your phone working again." The Doctor told her with a wave of his hand. "If it's gonna boast 'smart' it might as well work across the universe." Rose pulled out her phone and hit a button.

"Call The Doctor." She spoke into it and a sudden ringing erupted from somewhere in The Doctor's jacket. It sounded like Tainted Love, the song played during the End of The World viewing party. "You didn't." He bobbed his head and gave her a wink. Rose hung up and shoved the phone in her pocket again. "What are you going to do, Doctor?" Rose asked, her voice quiet. She stepped in close so that their bodies were just barely touching, she studied his face appreciatively.

"There's definitely something in those sewers, but it's not alligators." The Doctor said lowly, Rose nodded her agreement. "I think we may have found our survivors… Gonna go down and have a little chat."

"Just be careful. They don't sound very friendly." Rose lifted herself onto her tiptoes and planted a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulled back she ran her thumb along his lips to remove any lip balm that might have transferred. "Be sure to call me if you need backup." He nodded but she knew he wouldn't do that. With a slight flourish, he spun away from her and kicked over the grate to allow a wider entrance. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and cast a dim blue light into the darkness. There was nothing in the direct area, just running water far below. The Doctor gave a grin and a tiny wave before jumping into the hole. Rose leaned forward and looked into the hole to see him standing there, his screwdriver poised and at the ready. Then he was gone.

Rose let out a sigh and trudged back over to the sidewalk where she plunked down next to Jacob. She rested her head in her hands and stared at the hole. She hated when he would go off on his own to do the hero stuff, but this time she had no one to blame but herself. Jacob reached out a hand and patted Rose on the back tenderly. She turned her head to look at him and smiled.

"Is The Doctor a Ghostbuster?" Jacob asked curiously. Rose put a finger to her lips and gave the boy a wink. His eyes lit up.

\----

The sewers weren't as bad as someone might expect them to be. Mostly their purpose was to collect and redistribute rainwater. Or at least the part The Doctor was walking through served that function. Light seeped in from the grates above providing a clear path in one direction or another, the smell in the air was that of stale water. Likely due to a lack of rain in the past few days and the stifling heat. Whatever had bitten Miss Florence was long gone now, but there was evidence of it. A disturbance in the leaves and puddles on the ground. Partial imprints from tracking water across the dry parts.

The Doctor crouched down to examine one of them. It was definitely a biped… three long toes in the front and a stubbier one in the back. The imprint wasn't too deep, signifying the creature to be slight of frame or short in stature. He followed the trail for about a kilometer before things started to get interesting. The carcasses of small animals were beginning to turn up. Sparse at first, but then the numbers started to grow. The Doctor was forced to cover his mouth as the rotting stench of decay became too much for him. He squinted ahead at what seemed like the end of the line, but upon further inspection, it looked to something else entirely.

"A door." He mumbled as he dropped his hand. It was a large metal door, the kind of metal that didn't come from Earth. "Strange choice for a small town." He commented to himself as he searched for a way to get in. His hands ran against the smooth outside corners of the door, inspecting for any sort of buttons or levers that he wasn't seeing right away. By the time he worked from one side to the other, he discovered a small white button that had been hidden behind a thin sliding metal door. He smiled and pushed the button. It opened swiftly to reveal a hallway that looked just as gloomy as the sewers, but with an extra coating of slime along the walls. The Doctor scrunched his nose and stepped inside.

\----

"Let's have a look in The Doctor's bag of tricks, shall we?" Rose asked as she dragged the bag over to where she and Jacob had been sitting. It had already been half an hour since The Doctor had left, and Rose was running out of eye spy objects. "I think I remember The Doctor saying something about Jelly Babies in here…" She muttered as she reached deep inside. "Can't say if they'll be in any condition to eat though." She smiled when she felt the familiar plastic of a candy bag and pulled them out. She tasted one experimentally, then handed them to Jacob. He took the bag but eyed it warily. "Go on, it's candy." Rose insisted as she dug in the bag again.

Jacob ate one, then excitedly dug in to eat more. Rose continued to dig in the bag. With a sudden smile, she pulled out the cassette player The Doctor had mentioned and sat it between them. Opening the front hatch she could see there was a tape already in there. A mixed tape by the look of it, but no label had been written. Rose shrugged and closed it up to give a listen. It had occurred to her that she wasn't sure what sort of music The Doctor might be into. She felt a little giddy at the idea of discovering something new about him, what sort of music would a man like that listen to? Perhaps it would be something from another place or another time, maybe even his own planet. She excitedly hit play and the song began.

"Oh," Rose said with surprised but happy recognition. It was 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen. An interesting choice, Rose approved. She bopped along for a little bit and gave Jacob a light tap to get him involved, but he seemed far more interested in the jelly babies. "Right, let's see what else he's got on here." She fast-forwarded a bit then played. Same song. Fast forward again. Same song. She slammed her thumb down on the fast forward. Same song! She groaned and pulled the tape out to flip it around. She pressed play and… there it was again! She hit the stop with annoyed urgency. "I've got to have a chat with that man." Rose shook her head and set the player back in the bag. Jacob looked up at her with sticky fingers and smiled. "He needs more musical exposure. You know?" He nodded silently. "Now," Rose took in a deep breath and smiled. "Shall we sing Miss Mary Mack?" Rose turned to face him with her hands up.

\----

The Doctor walked casually down the empty halls of the space ship, apparently not too bothered about being spotted by anyone. The lighting wasn't terribly great, and the smell wasn't much better, but The Doctor was sure someone would be home. After a minute or so he could start to hear voices. He slowed his pace and listened carefully.

"You were right about the humans, Sir." One voice said in a low slippery voice. "Very stupid. It will be an easy task to remove them."

"I told you it would be." Another voice replied, deeper and more commanding. "This is a primitive planet. They haven't gotten any further than the moon." They both laughed. The Doctor took a few steps forward and peeked around a corner. There he saw two short brown scaly bipeds with long powerful tails and jaws that look akin to the alligators they'd been mistaken for. Only much shorter in length as they protruded from the head. Their hands and feet were sort of three-pronged claws instead of fingers and they hunched over forward as if their preferred mode of transportation was to walk on all fours.

With a furrowed brow The Doctor leaned back into the wall he was listening behind. This had turned from a rescue mission to an invasion plot real fast. He had to rethink everything he was about to do. He recognized the species as one from a nearby galaxy, their planet predominantly covered in bogs and swamps. The one and only time he'd ever been there was on accident and he hated every second of it. They were called Respalians and they were very much like Earth reptiles. The sheer luck of them landing where they did was a trillion to one, but there they were. The Doctor took a deep breath and swung out from behind the corner.

"Hello!" He said loudly as he swung his hands behind his back. The two Respalians spun around to look at him with surprised hissing noises. The one leaned forward to a nearby control panel and slammed down on a button that seemed to activate an alarm system. The Doctor looked up casually as red lights began to flash and armed Respalians poured into the room. "Not a friendly bunch." The Doctor commented as every weapon locked into the room.

"How did you get in here?!" The presumed leader demanded. The other Respalian opened his jaws wide and his tongue whipped about from wide side to the other in a menacing manner.

"He doesn't smell like a human…" He hissed. "but he sure looks like one."

"Observant." The Doctor smiled. "Caught your little distress signal, thought you could use some help." The leader turned to the other Respalian and whacked him on the shoulder.

"Did I not tell you?" He cried. "Did I not say that it was too soon to call for help?"

"We were going down! How was I to know we would land in the water?" The other Respalian cowered from his superior like a weaker dog. They both turned and looked at The Doctor who was waiting expectantly.

"Ah, yes, well, as you can see we are fine here." The leader said in a false polite manner. "We do appreciate your assistance."

"Thing is," The Doctor held up a finger to stop the leader from continuing. "Can't really let you stay. Earth's not exactly ready for all of this." He gestured to the alienness all around them. The Respalians all looked at one another in confusion. "Gonna have to ask you to leave."

"Who are you to command us!" The other Respalian shouted. "We will rip your limbs from your body piece by piece and eat you slowly." He threatened.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The Doctor stated calmly. The aliens looked around once again.

"Why not?" The leader asked angrily.

"I'm toxic." The Doctor shrugged. "Take one bite of me and you'll drop dead."

"You're lying!" The other Respalian shouted.

"Want to take that chance?" The aliens all looked around to see who would step forward and be the one, but no one accepted his challenge. A widely known fact about the Respalian race: They were a simple species. It was a wonder they'd ever made it so far in the universe… and there they were insulting humans. "What are you planning here anyway? An invasion? You like what you see so you'll just stay a while."

"The climate is perfect for our species." The leader hissed. "Our planet has become polluted beyond repair, we were searching for a new home when we got too close to the gravitational pull of this primitive planet and crashed."

"You do realize, this is only a very small part of Earth? It's not all hot and swampy."

"Liar!" The Respalian's hissed angrily. The Doctor threw his hands up in submission.

"Alright, alright… So, what now? You want to invite all your friends over? Just move on in and slaughter all the locals? Oh, hang on," The Doctor looked down and away thoughtfully. "That sounds familiar."

"The humans will provide an excellent source of protein for our species." The Leader replied. "We shall herd them and harvest them." The Doctor forced back a look of disgust.

"Looks like you got it all figured out." The Doctor slipped his hands into his pockets casually. "Too bad I'm going to stop you." The aliens laughed.

"How's that?" The leader hollered over the laughter. "We may not be able to eat you, but we can certainly kill you." The weapons again raised up and pointed at The Doctor.

\----

"Swishy swoshy, swishy swoshy, hanging out the clothes!" Rose sang playfully as she mimicked the act of being tossed around in a giant washing machine, Jacob copied her movements in a more reckless fashion. Rose took a breath and was about to go into the next verse when a noise from the sewer caught her attention. She held in her breath and listened for for a moment with her finger poised over her lips to signal to Jacob to also keep quiet. There was another noise, this time a bit louder. "Did you hear that?" She asked, turning to Jacob. He nodded. Rose quickly dug around for her phone, it had been a long time now since The Doctor had left them. "Doctor?" She called out as she stood. Leaning in slightly she could definitely hear something. It sounded like footsteps. "Doctor is that you?" No response. Rose quickly turned to Jacob and handed him the phone. "Alright, sweetheart. You hold onto this- if a monster pops out you hit that green button." Jacob took the phone in his hand and nodded. Rose smiled and turned back to the hole.

She lunged towards the bag that was still sitting on the sidewalk and dug her hands into it desperately. The sound from the sewers was getting louder and louder. Rose was beginning to panic, but a slight wash of relief hit her when her hand came in contact with the harpoon. She pulled it quickly from the bag and stood posed by the hole. Her heart raced and her eyes widened as three claws reached out of the hole and stabbed into the concrete.

"Jacob hit the green button!" Rose called to the child. His finger pushed down on it hard as the creature began to emerge from the hole. Its hideous face looked like something from a comic book. Rose took a step back. "Take another step and I'll run this right through you." She warned.

\----

Every Respalian in the room had their weapon pointed directly on The Doctor. He remained calm despite having no actual way out. His eyes scanned the room for something he could use or something he bring up to distract them. He was ever so good at talking his way out of trouble… or into it. Maybe the latter in this case. He gulped. How stupid would he feel if he died and left Rose now? Just then, a vibrating sensation came from somewhere inside his jacket, then the familiar ringtone soon followed.

A strange change came over the room all of a sudden. Weapons clanged to the ground as the Respalian's clutched their heads in pain and gnashed their horrible teeth. The Doctor stared with mild surprise at their reactions. Some of them were cowering on the ground, some of them were pleading for it to stop. The Doctor pulled the phone from his pocket slowly as he continued to observe the effects. Then he answered it, the music stopped.

"Rose?" The Doctor asked as he held the phone out in front of him, evidently communicating by the speaker. The Respalian's were just starting to gather themselves. "Rose, are you there?" No answer came, just the sounds of a struggle and some yelling in the background.

"Jacob, tell The Doctor we're being attacked!" Rose voice carried over quietly through the phone. Then the heavy breathing of a child could be heard. "Jacob, come on, love!" Rose sounded like she was having a real struggle.

"Jacob? It's The Doctor." The Doctor said loudly over the phone. The Respalian's were now climbing to their feet and shaking off the effects of the ring-tone. The Doctor turned swiftly and jumped over two slumped over Respalian's as he fled the room. "Jacob, what's happening?" The Doctor called into the phone. He could still hear Jacobs breathing.

"Stop him!" The leader snarled. "If he gets to the surface he'll warn the humans and they'll rally against us!" The Doctor ran as fast as his legs could carry him. The Respalian's were already on the chase. A strangled scream came over the phone followed by Jacob's tiny voice.

"Help." He said quietly into the phone. The Doctor pushed himself to run faster, he exited the doors of the spaceship and entered the sewers once more. He could hear the Respalian's gaining on him.

"Jacob?" There was no response. The Doctor gritted his teeth as he leaped over the rotten remains of a dog. He hung up the phone with his thumb waiting a second before calling the number back. He had to pray her ring-tone would have the same effect as his.

Above the surface, Rose was fighting for her life. The Respalian was on top of her, the only thing keeping it back was the harpoon clutching between both Rose's hands. Its jaws snapped at her, the drool falling from its mouth and hitting her on the face. She let out a strangled scream as she willed herself to push it back from her. Jacob watched wide-eyed, phone clutched in his hands. Then it started to vibrate. The classic default ring-town began to go off, it hadn't been as loud as The Doctor's tone, or as complex, but it still had some effect. It caused the alien to stop what he was doing, and look up with a cringe. It was enough for Rose to knock him off of her. The Respalian gripped his head as if he'd been slapped. Rose scurried back and watched in awe as the beast attempted to crawl backward towards the hole. She glanced back at the frightened toddler with tears in his eyes holding the phone and scurried to his side.

"Shh, shh, it's alright now." Rose took him into her arms and pulled him into her protectively. "I won't let them hurt you." She promised as her eyes never left the gaping hole in the street. The ringing stopped briefly. Rose glanced at the phone to see a notification for a missed call from The Doctor. She took the phone into her hands, but just as she was about to call him back, he called again. "Doctor!" Rose answers immediately.

"You alright?" The urgent voice of The Doctor blasted through the phone. It was hard to hear him, there was too much noise in the background.

"We were being attacked! It was an alligator man! He nearly had me but then he just kind of… backed off." Her eyes were still fixed on the hole.

"I'm nearly to you but I've got company." The Doctor sounded a little breathy. "I want you to dig out the cassette player from the bag."

"What?"

"Just do it!" The Doctor commanded hurriedly. Rose could now hear that the noise in the background was the combined snarled and hisses of several aliens. Shakily, she reached into the bag and pulled out the cassette player.

"What do I do?" She asked as she loomed over the dark hole.

"Come down into the sewer."

"What?"

"Trust me!" Rose turned to look at Jacob who was teary-eyed on the sidewalk. Rose offered him a smile and headed for the hole.

"Alright, I'm coming down." Rose hung up the phone and stuck it in her pocket then began her descent. Jacob rushed over to her. "You stay up here." She said as her head slipped under the surface. Jacob frowned. He looked down the street as a rumbling sound began to build, it sounded like a herd of cattle was about to run through town. His little eyes looked back into the dark hole.

The rumbling sound was much louder in the sewer. Rose could hear the sound of many running footsteps coming her way, louder and louder as they neared. She squinted her eyes as something in the distance started to appear. It had to be The Doctor, she prayed it would be The Doctor. Then suddenly a splash drew her attention sideways. Jacob had come down!

"What have you done!" She cried, but the boy looked determined. He clutched onto his Winston doll and thrust it forward towards her.

"I ain't afraid of no ghost!" He said confidently. Rose had no time to be horrified, instead, she hurried him to her side and held the cassette player at the ready. She prayed that whatever insane plan The Doctor had for that thing better work. The rumbling got louder as The Doctor came into sight. His face was strained.

"Doctor!" Rose yelled down the tunnel. The Doctor got closer and closer, the Respalians were just a few meters behind. He was nearly to her when his face cracked into a smile.

"Hit play and crank it!"

"Have you lost it?!" She hollered back at him. The Doctor slid to a halt in front of her and spun around.

"Quickly!" He urged causing Rose to snap into action. Her finger jammed into the play button and the soothing voice of Freddie Mercury sprung into life.

Tonight, I'm going to have myself a real good time…

The hoard of respalians jolted to a halt as if they'd just hit a glass wall. Their eyes were wide with confusion and hysteria. The Doctor grinned from ear to ear with anticipation.

"What's happening to them?" Rose asked, her eyes having difficulty leaving the strange sight. Jacob clung to her leg with one arm and boldly clenched his little Winston figure with the other. His face was ridged with determination and bravery.

"It's the music, it does something to them." The Doctor looked so impressed. "The way it's filtered through the electronic devices, it rattles their brains." He clapped his hands together in excitement. "Forgot how much I loved this song." The Doctor smiled as he bopped along. Rose frowned at the combined thought that this was hardly the time to bop along and the fact that he loved this song enough to put it on over and over again. The respalians gritted their teeth and wailed in agony. The Doctor reached over and paused the tape. "Had enough? Ready to go home?"

"Never!" The leader hissed angrily as he pushed his way through the crowd. "We'll rip this world apart! We'll eat every last one of you, and then when there's no one left, we'll rip you to shreds in a slow painful death." The Doctor frowned.

"Last chance. Leave, or I'll be forced to end you." The serious look on The Doctor's face was evidence enough that he wasn't kidding. Even if the aliens did leave, there was a pretty good chance they'd come back with more people. There was only one option but The Doctor always tried to avoid it.

"I will wear your bones around my neck like a medal!" The Leader shrieked. Guns were raised once again. They'd made their decision. The Doctor reached over and hit play. A few shots were fired into the walls and ground around them as the respalians screamed and groaned. The Doctor ignored them. Instead, and without warning, he took the cassette player under one arm and burst forward, mouthing the lyrics with perfect accuracy as if he were Freddie Mercury himself. Rose's jaw hit the floor.

"I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars on a collision course," He kicked the guns from several alien hands with great flourish as he danced along to the tune. "I am a satellite, I'm out of control." He stepped into the hoard of writhing bodies and punched out a nearby respalian attempting to bite him. "I'm a sex machine, ready to reload-" He spun around gave Rose a wink, she quickly covered Jacob's ears and held him closer to her. "Like an atom bomb-" he now stood in the centre of the hoard and lifted the cassette player up, all while perfectly lip-synching to the words. "-about to oh, oh, oh, oh, oh explode!" Suddenly one of the alien's heads burst like a watermelon. Just random combustion! Rose screamed in shock and lifted Jacob into her arms. She attempted to shield him as more heads burst. The Doctor arched his back as he got into the character, never mind the heads bursting all around him. "I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah! Two hundred degrees, that's why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit!" He kicked his foot up swiftly and it busted right through the back of one respalians head. "I'm traveling at the speed of light!" Another thrust with his fist went through another. Junks of flesh, bone, and brain flew everywhere. He burst forward from several more explosions and slid on his knees towards Rose as he mouthed the words: "I wanna make a supersonic woman of you!" Then he jumped up to his feet.

Don't stop me. Don't stop me. Don't stop me.

"Doctor-" Rose tried to reel him in but it was no use. He had completely checked out.

"Have a good time, good time-" He mouthed as he gave Rose a fleeting look, and then charged into the crowd once more. It was a pulpy mess. Organs and fluids splashed The Doctor as he rocked out. He carried the music all the way through to the back to be sure everyone was able to get a taste of Mercury's superb vocals. Rose could hardly make him out in all the chaos. Then, just as softly as it had started, the music began to wind down.

Rose stared into the disgusting slop of a mess that was once the respalians. They were hardly anything anymore. Her eyes rested on the lone, standing figure, arms out as if receiving a standing ovation for his performance. His hand pushed the stop button just as the last bit of sound faded out and he spun around to face Rose like a proud child looking for approval. Of course, Rose was horrified. She hugged Jacob close to her body and gaped at The Doctor, covered in who knows what. His face fell.

"What, too much?" He asked in honestly.

"You think?" Rose asked in a voice that came out too shrill. The Doctor tried not to smile as he made his way back to her.

"I don't think there's a soul alive who can listen to that song, and not let it take them away." The Doctor shrugged.

"We are throwing out that tape, I won't be able to hear that song again." The Doctor had stopped right in front of her, questionable goop dripping from the tip of his nose. He smiled down at her, he couldn't help it. Rose looked up in his eyes and spun Jacob away from him. "Don't even think about kissing me right now. Disgusting." She wrinkled her nose. The Doctor laughed and took a step back.

"And how are you, Sir Jacob?" The Doctor asked sweetly, prompting the toddler to turn his head. "Alright?" He viewed him with a blankness that only came from toddlers. The Doctor grinned at him. "You did a great job keeping Rose safe." A little smile played at the corner of the toddler's lips.

"And Winston." He said as he drew up the action figure.

"Quite right, not sure how we did it without him." The Doctor beamed and Rose found herself beaming back. She gave Jacob a tight squeeze. "Well, we've saved the Earth from yet another invasion."

"Just like old times." Rose smiled softly, nearly forgetting the display she'd witnessed. There was a twinkle in The Doctor's eyes, one that Rose hadn't seen in a while. A sort of madness that was very contagious.

"Jacob?!" A voice yelled from above. The trio looked up to the bright light above. "Jacob where are you, baby?!" Miss Florence was frantic. Her leg freshly bandaged as she hurried down the steps of her house. Her back was to Rose as she crawled out of the sewer with Jacob in hand.

"Mama!" Jacob called to her and the woman spun on her heel.

"Oh thank God!" She gasped as she ran towards Rose. "Were you in the sewer?" She asked, fully aghast.

"Your alligator problem has been solved, Miss Florence." The Doctor boasted as he climbed out of the sewer with natural grace. Miss Florence gaped at him with something between shock and disgust. He was still completely drenched in respalian remains.

"What, did you blow it up?" She asked in a shrill manner. The Doctor looked down at himself for a brief moment.

"Ah-… Yes." He decided. "May be a bit of stench around here for a few days. With a good rain, it'll all wash out into the swamp." Miss Florence just stared at him. "Anyway, we're off. Things to do, places to see." He pressed a hand against Rose's back to usher her on.

"Just a minute, Doctor." Rose turned away from his guiding hand. "At least let me say goodbye." The Doctor gave her a stern look but he couldn't hold it. He just sighed and nodded. Rose stepped forward towards Miss Florence and Jacob. "Goodbye Jacob, thank you for all your help." She raised a hand up to touch his cheek softly. "You are a very brave boy." A secret smile spread onto the little man's face. His mother looking on with great interest. Rose didn't offer an explanation. Just offered a nod and a wave before turning away and joining hands with The Doctor.

"This has got to be the oddest day I've ever had." Miss Florence muttered as she shook her head.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big pictures gone  
Replaced with visions of you

It had been almost a week since the foiled attempt at Respalian colonization on Earth. The Doctor had parked the TARDIS in the vortex to dig into research once again. His interest renewed. Their intimacy hadn't suffered from it, in fact, he had proven most attentive. It almost seemed like whenever Rose was daydreaming about The Doctor, he'd just show up. As if he could somehow read her mind- but she knew that wasn't possible without contact. Or was it? Her expertise on Time Lord physiology was not as good as it should have been.

Rose sighed as she examined a picture she'd just printed. The Doctor had made her a photo printer for her phone so she could take more pictures without lugging around a polaroid camera (When she remembered to lug it out). The joys of smart technology! She had just finished printing out a photo of her and little Jacob on the sidewalk. A soft smile graced her lips as she thought of how tiny he was, at how sweet and quiet he'd been. She slid the photo into her album and wondered if he would remember her. The Doctor had convinced her that due to his age and the nature of their time together he'd likely dismiss the memory as a dream. That was a good thing, but it also made Rose a little sad. She wasn't fully sure why.

Leaning on the door frame, The Doctor watched Rose with a silent, thoughtful gaze. She had no idea he was there, and he enjoyed catching her in those moments. Watching her do perfectly simple human things; tucking hair behind her ear, rubbing her itchy nose… they made him feel like he was witnessing something special. She slid the album onto the shelf and gave another big sigh. The Doctor took that as his queue, he cleared his throat and she jumped.

"Oh, Doctor!" She gasped. "I hate when you do that!" He smiled, but there was nothing apologetic about it.

"What are you up to? More photos?" He asked as he crossed the floor and sat on the bed next to her. Rose offered a little smile as she glanced at the album.

"Yeah," She replied dreamily. "Someday we'll have a look through there and have some real laughs." The Doctor smiled and put his arm around her. "When I was little I used to love going through my Mum's photo albums with her. Made me feel like I was being let in on a secret." The Doctor pursed his lips and let his arm slide away. Rose watched him shift uncomfortably as he tried to find a way to change the conversation. She knew him well enough by now, she allowed him an escape. "Have you sorted out where you want to search next?" The Doctor visibly eased. He leaned backward until he was lying flat on his back with his arms behind his head.

"Well, I was thinking of a place…" Rose looked over her shoulder at him. "You go far enough into the future-"

"Doctor, I told you I'm not having any medical procedures done." Rose cut him off.

"I never said procedures." He responded defensively, then he rubbed a hand against his jaw casually. "An oral treatment, maybe." Rose rolled her eyes. "Well? What's the difference between that and the Holy Grail?" Rose turned away and bit her lip. The difference was that she knew the Holy Grail was just a story, it wouldn't work for them. She wanted The Doctor to do whatever he needed to heal properly, but perhaps she'd only enabled the sickness to fester.

"Didn't it feel good to just save the world again?" Rose asked softly, ignoring his last question. Her back was to him and her head was bowed. The Doctor furrowed his brow and sat up to try and get a good read of her face.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm just-" Rose paused and took in a deep breath. "You're The Doctor." She said, now finding the strength to look him in the eye. "You're not supposed to be tied to anyone or anything. You're supposed to save the day and fly off. You need to keep running, keep fighting, keep saving, regardless of what happens." She took his hands in her own. "Do you understand?" He stared down at their joined hands. His expression was unreadable. Rose could hear her own heart pounding in her head as she waited for him to respond.

"I don't want to do it alone anymore." He said quietly.

"And I'm not saying you have to," Rose added. "I'm just saying, you can't be so caught up in us and trying to keep me alive that you forget to see the rest of the universe."

"Oh, Rose." The Doctor sighed. "Permit an old man a little relief from the weight of the universe. Am I not allowed to find a bit of peace?"

"That's not what I'm saying-"

"Humans sit around all day, bogged down by the insignificant problems of their pathetic lives and yet they have it so well."

"You hate domestics, don't act like you're envious of them." Rose bit suddenly. "I watched what happens when The Doctor goes human. I watched you deteriorate before my own eyes. How you self-destructed from the madness a normal life drove you to." Her eyes began to fill with tears, The Doctor tried to turn away. Rose leaned forward and turned his face back to meet hers, her hand firmly on his jaw. "This is the life you're made for. This is where you belong." He ripped his head out from her grasp and stood up with a sudden bluster. He took a few steps away from her to face the wall and gather his thoughts. Rose let her hands fall to her lap, regret beginning to wash over her.

There was a long and heavy silence in the room.

"I'm not looking for a cure so we can settle down and buy a cozy little cottage in the country." The Doctor said gruffly, his arms crossed and still facing the wall. "I also don't want to hide in here for eternity hoping to preserve you like a moth." He went quiet again, Rose kept silent as well. "I'm not going to stop doing what I do." He turned around to look at her. "I'm just trying to make it so we can do it together." Rose nodded and looked at her feet, ashamed of her previous behavior. "But we can't keep doing this… not till I can be sure. I can't- won't lose you again. I don't want to have to always be worried sick about your safety to the point where I'm making bad decisions." His eyes were glassy. "So I'm asking you now, and answer me straight Rose Tyler," Rose looked up at him with a matched intensity. "Is that what you want too?" They stared at each other, the question burning in the air.

Rose knew what she wanted to say, she'd always known, and if anyone could change the hands of fate it was The Doctor. There was no going back to the empty room in London now. She was perfectly willing to die like this, as long as it was by his side. The Doctor made it clear that even though she made peace with it, it wasn't fair to him. He would go on living. Just as he had before. Perhaps it was the irrational decision of a lovesick mind or the product of a madness shared between two, but she knew what her answer would be. She stood up and regarded him a moment before flinging herself into his arms.

"Of course it is, obviously." She cried into his jumper. "There's nothing for me anywhere in the universe unless it's by your side." The Doctor wrapped his arms around her warmly. "I'm sorry." She sniffled.

"So you'll come with me to Delmas Prime?" He asked pulling away just slightly to see her face. Rose nodded.

"We'll have a look." She said rubbing her eyes. "I'm not saying I like the idea but… for your sake, we'll investigate." The Doctor smiled and pulled her back in for a hug. He spotted the two framed pictures on her nightstand and smiled.

"I guess if you're serious about spending forever with me…" The Doctor whispered in her ear, then stepped backward and dug into his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Rose quirked an eyebrow suspiciously. The Doctor crouched down on one knee, his hand retrieving something from the inside of his jacket. "What's happening here?" Rose stepped back anxiously, her heart began to race. "Doctor-"

"Rose Tyler-"

"Don't you do it." She warned, her face playing at a mixture of elated and horrified.

"Will you-" He opened his hand slowly and Rose bit her lip anxiously. "Accept this tiny trinket as a token of my affection?" Rose's face and shoulders dropped as she regarded the cheap plastic ring he held in his hand. The one he'd bought at the market.

"What the hell is that?" Rose asked, pointing offensively at the ring. The Doctor gave a look of mock surprise, followed by his usual brand of manic grin.

"I saw it and I thought of you." The Doctor said honestly. "Girl Power, see?" He pointed at the bold words. "That's you." He grinned even wider if at all possible. Rose shook her head, she couldn't help but smile back.

"You're such a prick." She smacked him lightly on the shoulder. "Thought you were proposing." She laughed and took the toy ring in her hand to admire it.

"Would you want me to?" He asked, his tone sounding suddenly serious. Rose didn't seem to notice, she slid the ring on her wedding finger and laughed to herself. The Doctor stood up and took the hand she admired in his own. "Is that what you want?" She looked at him wide-eyed, not sure what to say.

"Well, I-" She started, then looked away to try to gather her thoughts. "You've made your feelings on marriage pretty clear." She shrugged casually. "Said you'd been married loads of times and it never meant anything."

"Sometimes it does." He said. "If your heart is in it." Rose studied his eyes carefully. He shrugged and dropped her hand. "I mean if it's the only thing in the way of a species avoiding extinction you just have to do it," Rose smirked as she remembered the situation he referred to.

"You loved watching me go through that torture." She laughed.

"On the contrary." The Doctor took her in his arms. "Standing by while a caveman snogs your girl? Who was really going through torture there?"

"I wasn't your girl then." Rose grinned with her tongue poking through her teeth.

"Weren't you?" The Doctor asked slyly and Rose found herself blushing. The Doctor leaned in and planted playful kisses along her neck. Rose wriggled and let out a little laugh. The Doctor pulled back and pulled off his jacket.

"Seriously though, Doctor," Rose tapped a thoughtful finger against her lip as she glanced at the pictures on her night side table. "I'd always dreamed of getting married, but the way things have turned out… doesn't really seem necessary… I mean, I feel like we're already there." The Doctor came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her gently.

"Well guess we'll have to make up for missing the honeymoon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song from summary: "Something Human" by Muse


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'll place this galaxy around your neck  
As a souvenir not to forget

The planet The Doctor had wanted to check out was home to an advanced alien species who made their money by exporting scientific breakthroughs. Many of which, had been purchased by Earth's future people. The planet was just a little smaller than Earth, but most of it was completely covered in cities. The people there were squid-like, tentacles covered in suckers served as arms and legs, and their flesh was any colour of the rainbow. They had large eyes, bird-like beaks and massive heads that were likely filled with massive brains.

The TARDIS had landed in what appeared to be a parking garage. Strange vehicles, built to carry strange and massive bodies, were parked row by row in little spaces under the city. The Doctor had stated that the lot was under a medical research facility, one that focused its research on the more… unconventional side of health. It was the exact place he'd been hoping to get a look around in. The only problem was that the strange planet was not often visited by humans. In fact, they were disgusted by humans.

"I've seen them before." Rose mused as she stared at an advertisement on the cement wall. "Glom… or whatever." She spun around to face The Doctor who was locking up the TARDIS. "When you left me for four days to slug around boxes."

"Like I said then: I was looking for you. It had only been twenty minutes." Rose waved off his explanation.

"So how are we going to get in?" They walked side by side over to what appeared to be lift doors.

"They sell their products to all kinds of species, humans included." The Doctor began as the doors slid open to reveal the inside of the lift. "We'll just pose as clients."

"Oh, brilliant," Rose said sarcastically. "Glad I wore leggings." The Doctor looked her up and down.

"Step up from denim I suppose." He shrugged. Then he leaned back to inspect her rear. "Good fit, anyway." Rose rolled her eyes and smirked. "Is it just me, or have you gotten a little more… voluptuous?" He said the word as if he chose it very carefully. With a scandalized gasp, Rose swung around and flicked The Doctor in the nose angrily. He flinched backward and reached up to protect his nose from further attack.

The doors flung open to reveal a bright white hallway. No one around. Rose stepped out hesitantly, but The Doctor brushed past her with purpose. He moved swiftly down the hall in search for anything that could give him proper direction. The walls were slick and reflective providing Rose the opportunity to glance at her own rear. She frowned in disapproval.

"Coming?" The Doctor called back to her and she sprinted to catch up with him.

It didn't take them long to discover the front desk. A squid was sitting behind it working on a touch screen. They didn't bother to look up when the two foreigners approached. The Doctor politely cleared his throat but was promptly ignored. He attempted a second throat clearing, but it was met with a similar reaction. With an irritated smirk, he leaned forward and knocked over a vase that shattered onto the floor. Rose jumped at the sudden noise, and the squid behind the desk gasped loudly.

"Oh, look what you've done!" She hissed as she jumped from her seat. "Filthy bipeds." She grumbled and moved around the counter with a dustpan and brush.

"Hello, I'm The Doctor, this is Rose Tyler." He introduced as the squid swept angrily.

"What do you want?" It asked.

"We're here about an order." The Doctor informed the squid as it circled back around behind the desk. "An age-defying serum." The squid's eyes finally met his, then proceeded to look him up and down.

"That serum is not yet completed." They said. "Do you have an appointment with the developer?"

"Of course." The Doctor smiled. "Just tell us what floor they're on and we'll head over."

"I'm afraid I can't just let you walk into the facility." The squid slapped one of its tentacles on the desk without warning.

"Right, well," The Doctor looked over the tentacle as it slid back off the desk. "We're very busy people, we happened to be in the area and we're interested in checking in on the progress. Please, call the developer, I'm sure they'll let us up." Begrudgingly, the squid tapped a few buttons and waited.

"Yes, Dr. Slorpus? I've got a client here that wants to see your progress. Very demanding humans." It said the last bit with disdain. Rose glanced anxiously at The Doctor who was already digging into his jacket and pulling out the psychic paper. "He says he's the Doctor." The squid listened and nodded a few times before turning back to The Doctor. "ID please?" The Doctor flung out the psychic paper and they examined it. "Yes, he is." It said into whatever unseen device the call was on. "Right, I'll send him up."

With a flourish of its tentacle, the squid pointed at an adjacent hallway and provided the directions to the lift. As they stepped inside The Doctor took Rose's hand in his own and smiled. Perhaps they wouldn't find what they were looking for, or maybe they would. Her love for The Doctor gave her a renewed sense of fight. She could take the information from the cloaked figure and lay down to die, or she could take it and run. The feeling of their hands together, imagining them doing that a thousand years from now, she wanted to hold onto that hope.

The doors opened, the hallway looked exactly the same as the one they had come from. They walked along for a little bit, peeking in windows and watching as several squids went about their work. Rose was staring at one squid in particular who was experimenting with portals, her eyes wide with interest as his tentacle slid in one hole and popped back out another behind him. So engrossed in how incredible that scene was, she hadn't noticed when another alien turned the corner just ahead of her. They bumped awkwardly into each other.

"Watch where you're going!" The alien said as he stumbled backward. He was short and lumpy, much like a bean-bag chair that needed re-stuffing. His skin was brilliant chartreuse and he walked on four trunk-like legs. His arms were small for his body and rested on his bulbous stomach as he moved and spoke. Altogether he was an unpleasant looking little fellow with patches of hair in all the weirdest places. He blinked his wide eyes a few times when he'd finally gotten a good look at who'd bumped him.

"Oh, so sorry, bit distracted, lot's to see," Rose said nervously. The Doctor was a few steps ahead, he paused briefly when he'd heard the collision but didn't stick around.

"Oh, actually that's quite alright." The creature said as he blinked a few times again. "Am I correct in assuming, my dear, that you are… human?" He said the last word in a strange unsettling manner. Rose looked on at The Doctor who was getting further and further away.

"I am, yeah." She answered quickly. The alien's expression seemed to bubble with excitement.

"Oh! Might I be permitted to ask you a few questions?" He asked, his lack of a neck making it difficult for him to look up at her face properly.

"Um, sorry, not just now." She touched his slimy shoulder politely as she made to move past him, her eyes still on The Doctor's retreating form. If she lost him in here she'd never figure out how to find him again. Not only that but the squids were so unkind to humans that she wasn't sure she wanted to be apart from The Doctor. "I've got to catch up with The Doctor. This place is a labyrinth! Maybe later, yeah?" He turned his body to follow her as she walked backward away from him. She gave him a polite smile and waved, then spun around and started running.

The alien's eyes had locked onto the hand that had waved at him. The flash of pink from her ring finger attracting his attention like a magpie. He tried to focus hard on it as she ran away, then a strange sort of excited smile spread across his wide lumpy head. He drummed his fingers excitedly on his belly and proceeded towards the elevator.

"Doctor!" Rose called out after he'd turned a corner and vanished from her sight. "Oh, really!" She huffed. "Just goes to show, no difference whether you're intimate with them or not." She slowed to a jog and then a walk as she neared the corner she assumed he'd turned at. Upon arrival, however, The Doctor was nowhere to be seen. Rose bit her lip and took a turn down the hallway anyway. She walked slowly as she looked carefully inside each window, surely all in black The Doctor would stick out like a sore thumb in such a bleached atmosphere.

"Hey, are you authorized to be up here?" A janitorial squid asked as it rounded the corner with mops in several tentacles. Rose jumped at the sudden voice and reached for her heart.

"Oh, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that." She scolded. "Of course I'm authorized. I'm here with The Doctor." Regardless of whether or not the squid knew The Doctor, the statement sounded impressive. Rose hoped that would be enough.

"There are thousands of Doctors in this facility." The squid replied skeptically.

"The Doctor is an alias," Rose said quickly as the squid began to advance. "We are customers looking into the anti-aging serum."

"I don't trust filthy little humans." The squid grumbled. "Like vermin, always invading things and making messes…" Rose backed into the wall as the squid loomed over her.

"Yes, well," Rose shrugged anxiously. "Can't paint us all with the same brush." The squid began to wriggle its tentacles at her, reaching out as if to grip her. "You mind keeping those suckers out of my personal space?" She tried as she inched along the wall. One of the tentacles began to wrap around her foot slowly. "bit fresh, isn't it?"

"Oi! what's going on here?" The Doctor appeared in a doorway just down the hallway. His body leaning at an angle as he observed the situation. The squid's tentacles eased off and he turned to face The Doctor. "We don't have all day here." Rose looked up at the squid and slowly squeezed past him while he was distracted. "Always making friends, come along." He dipped back into the room but it was enough of a distraction for Rose to have gotten away. She ran towards the door, only sparing a glance at the annoyed squid clutching his mops.

When she entered the room, The Doctor had his back to her. He was facing a squid who was gesturing to several vials lined up on a countertop with his tentacle. The room was filled with scientific equipment. Things that Rose with her primitive grasp of science couldn't even begin to figure out what their purpose was. She examined a nearby setup of tubes that were dripping some sort of liquid into a vial, each tube containing a different coloured liquid. Despite her ignorance, the complexity of everything around her was intriguing and visually stimulating for her.

"The results have varied." The squid explained to The Doctor. "But we are certain we are close to the desired result. When it's finally completed, a shot of this every month will keep you in your prime for as long as you take it." The Doctor had his arms folded across his chest, and his right hand covered his mouth thoughtfully.

"What happens when you stop taking it?" Rose asked curiously, turning away from the curious equipment and stepping into the conversation. The squid looked her up and down skeptically, then cleared its throat.

"The aging process will activate as nature intended." It replied. "This serum will only serve to prevent the effects of aging. Physically speaking. Although we don't have a finished product to say for sure, we predict that once a user has stopped taking injections it will take three months for the serum to fully vacate their system, and the aging process will continue as normal. Potentially a little faster than normal depending on the species."

"So you won't dry up like an old prune just like that?" Rose snapped her fingers to illustrate her point.

"That is what our intention is, anyway." The squid stated.

"How long until it will be perfected?" The Doctor asked as he lifted a vial to look at the contents with more scrutiny.

"It is hard to say." The squid admitted with what could only be described as a shrug. "We could have a breakthrough in the next week, or it could take us years." The Doctor set the vial back down. "It's in the testing stages." The Doctor nodded and turned his back from the vials.

"What else are you working on here?" He asked suddenly. The squid showed a slight flash of excitement as he wriggled his tentacles. He moved away from them and beckoned them to follow with a swish of his tentacle. Rose immediately obeyed, The Doctor followed shortly after.

"This may also interest you, Doctor." The squid said in a chipper tone. "It's in the very early stages of development." It reached forward into a filing cabinet and pulled out several designs on a sort of clear almost plastic-looking form of paper. It spread them out across a countertop and The Doctor looked it over.

"Is it a gun?" Rose asked looking over a concept drawing of what appeared to be a handheld device.

"Yes, in a way." The squid confirmed. "Early days, but we hope to create a point and click form of anti-aging. There will be a screen to set the age, then point at the person who wishes to be that age and it instantly changes their biology."

"Impressive." The doctor stated cooly. "I'm sure you don't intend this to go retail?"

"Not at all." The squid sputtered. "This is purely for aesthetician use. A cosmetic procedure if you will. Spas have been demanding it for years."

"In the wrong hands though…" The Doctor muttered as he rubbed his jaw.

"So say you're sixty, and you want to be twenty again," Rose began curiously. "You go into the spa, they zap you with this, you start the aging process over again at twenty?"

"That is correct." The squid replied.

"That's genius." Rose grinned. "My mother would kill for that."

"It is still in the conceptual stages. We have a long way to go." The squid wrapped its tentacles around the designs and shoved them away into the cabinet again. "I thought you might like to see them as… we're in need of investors for the project."

"The spas aren't investing in it?" Rose asked.

"No. That's not really how they do business." It answered. "They'll buy into it once there is a product to buy."

"Well, we'll have to think about it." The Doctor said in a voice that suggested an eagerness to leave. He began to back up towards the door. "It sounds like a fantastic investment opportunity, but I've already got a lot tied up in the serum. I'll have to look over my numbers and get back to you." Rose eyed him curiously but followed his lead and headed for the door as well.

"Thank you for showing us the progress you've made." She added. "Most enlightening. Can't wait to see the final results."

"Thank you for taking an interest," The squid offered politely. "and for your contributions." The Doctor gave a phony smile and nodded.

"Well, must be off." He clapped his hands together. "As I said, quite busy. Thanks again, cheers!" And with that, The Doctor disappeared into the hallway. Rose gave her best smile and followed him out. She broke into a jog as she attempted to match the Doctor's speed as he strode quickly down the hall.

"Well?" She asked as they rounded a corner. "What did you think?"

"I think we better get out of this building before he notices something missing." The Doctor said as he broke out into a run. Rose gasped and pointed an accusing finger before breaking into a run herself.

"You took some of the serum, didn't you?" She accused as they reached the lift.

"Might have." The Doctor shrugged, his eyes on the changing numbers above the door.

"What are you going to do with that?" Rose hissed as she looked back down the hallway. "They were still doing trials!" The doors flung open and the two hurried inside.

"I wanted to take a look at it in the TARDIS." He explained. "Break it down and see if I can rebuild it myself. Make it work properly."

"You said these were some of the greatest minds in the universe if they haven't gotten it-"

"I am THE greatest mind in the universe." The Doctor cut her off and gave her a wink. Rose rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Wouldn't it be easier to go forward in time to steal the serum when it's finished?"

"They never finish it." The Doctor answered cryptically. Rose paused for a further explanation but she didn't get one.

"I just hope for your sake that squid isn't very perceptive." The lift doors opened, they were back in the parking garage. Two steps out of the lift and an alarm began to sound. "Guess he was." She grumbled as they broke into a sprint.

The TARDIS wasn't too far away. They could see it from where they'd exited the lift. The Doctor was a few steps ahead of Rose, nearly at the door. His hand was digging into his pocket in search of the key. He reached the lock just as several squids burst through the stairway. Rose looked back at them as The Doctor unlocked the door. He pushed it open swiftly and stormed inside and directly towards the console. He began to flip levers and hit buttons, then with a sudden burst of excitement, he laughed as the TARDIS began to dematerialize.

"A narrow escape!" He beamed proudly, but his face suddenly fell when he realized Rose wasn't there. "No!" He yelled as he tried to go back. "No, no, no!" The TARDIS shook angrily as he tried to reverse her course. "She was right behind me!" He cursed as he clung tightly onto the edge of the console. The TARDIS jerked fiercely from one side to the other. "Sorry, old girl, we can't lose her again. You understand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from summary: "Kitsune" by Gunship.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do you know the difference between love and obsession?

It was dark when Rose came to. She'd woken up on the cold hard ground, at first she thought it was the ground of the parking garage, but it was far too dark. She clutched at her head as she lifted herself up to look around. Her eyes adjusted to what little light there was. She appeared to be in some sort of loading dock. There were crates piled all around her. She stood on shaking legs and approached a crate that was already open. Hoping for some kind of clue to where she was, she peeked inside the crate and was only met with confusion. She pulled out a wall mount telephone, almost identical to the one her mum used to have in the flat. Her nose crinkled and she dug into the packing peanuts for something else. The next thing she unearthed was a Mickey Mouse doll. She dropped it back in and looked around again. Was she back on Earth?

The sound of doors opening made Rose duck for cover. She slid behind the open crate and slunk into a spot where she could see through the cracks. Four large bi-pedal creatures in fully armored suits stepped out from the bright light and looked around the room. They carried large guns in their arms that made Rose a little more than nervous.

"Out of my way, out of my way!" A familiar voice cut through the room. The short lumpy alien from earlier was pushing guards aside with his tiny arms as he came into view. "I don't want you to scare her!" He chided as he pushed another guard to no effect. The alien scanned the room, his four legs scuttled under his body queerly as he moved about. "It's alright, my dear. You can come out." Rose could only assume he was talking to her, but she somehow felt like he easily could have been talking to a cat. She chose to stay hidden. With a frown, the alien lifted a tiny hand to usher the guards to search the room. It didn't take them long to find her. A guard grabbed her roughly by the back of her shirt and hauled her up, the fabric dug into her armpits in a painful and awkward way.

"Let go of me, you bellend!" She twisted her arms to yank herself free from the guard's grasp and fixed her shirt promptly. The guard prodded her forward and Rose shot him an angry look over her shoulder. The lumpy alien was smiling, or at least it looked like it was smiling. Rose regarded him with little to no warmth this time around. "What's this all about? Where am I?" She demanded angrily.

"Your accent is positively divine!" He clasped his hands together excitedly. Rose stared dumbly at him for a moment before losing her temper again.

"Where's The Doctor?" She shouted and lurched forward. The guards quickly grabbed her and pulled her back.

"Firey temper. I read about that." The lumpy alien nodded sagely. "My dear, you are in the company of the universe's wealthiest collector! I am Bromen Tel Sorput-Blotz." He raised his hands as if he were an impressive specimen. "The third." He added proudly.

"Collector of what exactly?" Rose asked carefully.

"Of Earth artifacts." He grinned. "I'm an expert on all things human and Earth-related." Rose could feel her stomach turn over. This felt all too familiar somehow. "When I saw you at the lab I knew you were special." He turned and began to leave the room, the guards dragged Rose ahead to follow him. "Your clothes immediately interested me, but what really tickled my fancy was your magnificent ring!" Rose glanced down at the ridiculous toy ring on her finger. The one The Doctor had so affectionately gave her, and the one she wore partly as a joke, and partly in an honest dedication to him. "Such a ring! I had to investigate further! I called my men to run a scan, and evidently, you don't exist." They entered a brightly lit hallway. "So I had them run a biological scan." He paused and turned to her excitedly. "Well imagine my shock when they deduced your genetics!" He carried on, turning a corner and moving his hands about as he spoke. "I must know, how does a human from the twenty-first century have the ability to time travel?" He stopped in front of a door and turned to face Rose. "Time travel would not be discovered by your species for centuries." Rose held her mouth firmly closed. "No matter, I'll get it out of you eventually." He offered a playful wink, but on hi,m it felt uncomfortable.

He held his hand to a scanner by the door and it slid open. The guards dragged Rose inside and lights began to flick on. It looked to be a showcase of sorts. Glass displays holding pathetically mundane Earth objects were littered all over the vast room. Bicycles, outfits, lego pieces, hairbrushes, it was like a junkyard. Rose gulped as she was reminded of Henry Van Statten. Bromen was the evolved version, and just like The Doctor before her, she was about to become the prize of his collection.

"So, what then?" She spat angrily. "You want to put me in a glass box?" Bromen laughed and scuttled past her towards some of the pieces.

"No, no," He drummed his fingers on his belly happily. "I have much better use for you!" He snapped his fingers and the guards released her arms. Rose rubbed at the places where their hands had gripped and shot them dirty looks. "You see, I just adore this little world you come from. It's charming and delightful." He turned to a nearby guard. "Bring out Elizabeth, will you?" The guard nodded and left the room. "I so desperately long to be a part of it all, but the timing, and my place of birth of course, have prevented me from that. So I surround myself with all these neat little pieces to give myself a sort of taste of what it could be like."

"You're one of those nutters, obsessed with other cultures to the point of illness," Rose stated, still rubbing at her bruised arms.

"Nutter. How positively quaint." Bromen laughed. The guard returned with something in tow, or rather, someone. Rose gasped at the sight of another female human. Tall, skinny, brunette with blue eyes and a perfectly symmetrical face. She was wearing high waisted faded acid wash jeans with a stripy crop top and blown-out hair. Rose gaped at her. "This is Elizabeth." Bromen introduced. "My companion." The use of the word in this context made Rose shiver. "I had her made by the squids not too long ago."

"You mean, she's not really a human?" Rose asked, unable to take her eyes off the blank face.

"An android, I'm afraid." Bromen sighed. "Best you can get, they worked on her for years!" Elizabeth raised a hand into a waving position and jutted her hip out to rest her other hand on it.

"Hi, so totally stoked to meet you!" Came the strangely real voice.

"I went with an American accent," Bromen explained. "Hearing yours, however, I do have regrets." Rose took a step closer to really examine Elizabeth. Her face was frozen in a smile. Everything about her seemed so real. Even her skin… she had pores! Rose stepped back anxiously, completely unnerved.

"Elizabeth is great, but… as you can see… she's not quite like you, my dear." Rose turned sharply to look at him. "'As close to human as you can get' they claimed, but she's just not the real deal. It's painfully obvious as she stands her next to you."

"You need to take me back right now," Rose demanded, anticipated the direction of the conversation. "The Doctor will be looking for me. Trust me when I say you don't want to bring on his wrath."

"The Doctor, you say?" Bromen sounded entertained. "Is he the time traveler that scooped you up?" Rose shut her mouth firmly. "I think we must have a lot in common, this Doctor Character and I."

"You're nothing alike." Rose spat.

"No?" Bromen walked slowly around one of the display cases, admiring the Tamagotchi that sat inside as if it were a rare jewel. "Well, I'll take my chances with your Doctor." He sighed. "Nearly impossible to trace this ship, I've spent a lot of money to keep myself protected." Rose looked at all the guards standing around them. "In the meant time, my dear, relax. Enjoy yourself. I will ensure you want for nothing!"

"I want The Doctor," Rose stated firmly.

"Give it time." Bromen said as he lifted his hand in a shooing motion. The guards took Rose aggressively by the arms and dragged her away. Elizabeth turned and skipped after them happily.

\----

The TARDIS re-appeared in the now empty garage. Just ten minutes after he'd disappeared the first time. He cursed at the lack of accuracy and ran to the doors praying that Rose might still be there. He saw nothing. The squids must have taken her away. A pang of guilt and fear struck his heart, he tried to push it away as he took his first step from the TARDIS. He would get her back, he was certain they wouldn't harm her until they'd gotten the serum back. He still had the upper hand.

With that first step, he was struck suddenly with a familiar smell. He paused and sniffed the air a few times. He took a few steps to the side and dropped to the ground to examine the cement. Tiny particles had gathered in a pile. He touched a finger to them and tapped the finger on his tongue.

"Transport beam." He stated, then jumped to his feet. The squids hadn't gotten to Rose, but someone else had. The Doctor tried to re-imagine the scene. The squid guards had come out of the stairwell just ahead, to his right was a solid concrete wall, and to his left several vehicles were parked. He walked over to the vehicles and examined the space between each one, whoever had fired off the beam must have been hiding between the vehicles. After the fourth one, he discovered prints on the exterior metal of the vehicle and below that, candy wrapper. He bent down and picked it up. 'Baby Ruth'. The Doctor furrowed his brow in confusion, why would anyone at this time, on this planet, have such a thing. He tossed the candy wrapper back to the ground and headed back to the TARDIS. He dug out his sonic screwdriver and began to fiddle with the settings.

With his arm pointed, he clicked something and waited. Nothing happened. He couldn't reverse the teleportation somehow. He frowned and fiddled with the screwdriver again. Once again, no such luck. With an annoyed groan, he fiddled with the screwdriver one last time and then ran a scan of the area. He turned with a flourish and headed back inside the TARDIS. Perhaps he could run it through the ship's scanners and trace the path to its final destination then follow it. It was the only option he had.

\----

Rose had been dragged down a hallway, around a few corners, more hallways, then shoved roughly into a room before the door was so rudely slammed in her face. Not standing for any of it, she raged against the door with her fists and fired out threats and insults. It was no use, they just ignored her. Left her to pacify herself and get used to the idea of being a house pet. With sagging shoulders, Rose turned to face the room. With a sudden gasp, she stepped back into the door.

The room looked like nostalgia had thrown up everywhere. Orange shag carpet stretched wall to wall, pieces of furniture spanning multiple decades clashed with each other all over the room, stuffed animals and toys were strung about, and posters from popular movies over the years decorated the walls. Casablanca, Road House, James Bond, The Sex & The City movie… Rose wrinkled her nose at that. She took a bold step away from the door and picked up a framed picture that only included a portrait of Gordon Ramsay. The faint sound of Toxic by Britney Spears played on in the background. She shook her head and set down the portrait swiftly.

"This has to be a dream." She said quietly. "There's no way something like this exists." She looked on at the large four-post bed at the back of the room. A mountain of pillows was formed at the head, all of various themes and textures. One in the shape of a poop emoji, another with large lettering reading 'Disco Fever'. The bedspread was one of those tacky whimsical wolf blankets you could buy from a roadside stand or flea market. The very sight of it made Rose cringe.

Just then, the door slid open. Rose spun around, preparing to attack whoever it was and make her escape, but it was only Elizabeth. The living doll. The door slid closed behind her and Elizabeth stared blankly at Rose. With a droop of her shoulders, she attempted to ignore the creepy fake woman and turned to sit on a balloon chair with the matching footrest. The strange plastic texture squeaked and groaned as Rose got comfortable, she remembered it being a lot better when she was a kid. Her eyes flicked up to meet Elizabeth's again.

"Great," She grumbled. "Not only am I a prisoner, but now I've got this to deal with." She rubbed her finger noisily on the arm of the chair creating a horrible squeaky sound. She looked up at Elizabeth again. "Ugh! Don't you do anything but stand there?"

"What would you like me to do?" The response caught Rose off guard.

"What?"

"I can do most things, what would you like me to do?" Elizabeth took a few very natural steps forward then crouched on the floor and folded her arms over the arm of the antique couch. She rested her head lightly over her crossed arms in a very forced, posed position.

"Why are you sitting like that?" Rose asked curiously.

"It is how all young women sit in the magazines and television productions when they are about to have a girl talk." She pointed her finger to a stack of magazines from the nineties all loosely stacked on a nearby table. "Is this not how you would sit?"

"No, that looks awkward and uncomfortable," Rose said with a laugh.

"You are right, it is very uncomfortable." Elizabeth stood up and sat on the couch in a slump just as Rose was doing. "Much better." Rose couldn't help but laugh. It made Elizabeth smile. A very natural, human smile.

"So-" Rose leaned forward with a squeak and rested her elbows on her hands. "How do you work exactly… like… how are you so… life-like."

"Technology has come a long way since your time." Elizabeth sat up. "Robots, or androids rather, can be given the capability to learn or to feel things. I do not need to eat or sleep or anything like that, but I can adapt. I can grow as a person." Rose nodded thoughtfully.

"So you're capable of feeling trapped." A sudden blankness washed over Elizabeth's features, making her look more like a doll again. "How long have you been locked away in here?"

"Four years of Earth's time," Elizabeth responded automatically.

"And all this time you've been, what? Studying up on Earth culture?"

"That is correct."

"Nice source materials." Rose lifted a VHS and examined it briefly. "He doesn't go past two-thousand and ten?" Elizabeth shook her head.

"Bromen favours the Earth years between nineteen-ten and two-thousand and ten." Rose nodded.

"A lot happened in those years. Lots of advancements." She said as she glanced at an old record player. "What does he have you do then?" She asked carefully.

"We watch movies together. Television shows. Talk about them. Eat dinners. Dance."

"Nothing…?" Rose didn't really want to go there, but she had to know. "You know…?" She moved her hands around awkwardly to avoid saying the actual words. Elizabeth smiled.

"I can determine by your unusual movements and awkward behaviour that you mean something sexual." Rose shrugged. "No. He has not done anything like that with me." Rose let out a sigh of relief. "Not that I am not equipped-"

"Nope, that's good." Rose held her hand up to cut her off. "Thanks." Elizabeth nodded and closed her mouth firmly. Rose stared at her feet and wondered how she might wiggle her way out of this situation. She said The Doctor would come for her, but how could he possibly know where she was? And if he had found her, Bromen was right, he was heavily armed. With a squeaky lean to the side, Rose rested her head in her hand.

"Rose," Elizabeth began, she leaned forward. "I am very happy that you are here, even though I know that you are not happy." She offered her a smile and reached a hand out to touch Rose's shoulder lightly. "I have always longed for a best friend… I see them together in so many productions and in books. I have always longed for that bond." Rose responded with a gentle smile, she felt bad for the synthetic woman. Like a bird in a cage, with a serious escapism addiction.

"Well," She said as she took a deep breath. "A best mate should always give a nickname." Elizabeth grinned, the first time Rose had really noticed. It was wide and toothy. She was sort of like a child in her nature. "How about Liz?"

"I love it." Liz clapped her hands together. "I shall call you-!" She froze suddenly, like someone pressed paused on the remote. Then her face fell. "Your name is already short. There is no abbreviation I can use."

"That's alright, they don't have to be abbreviations. Sometimes they can just be a name created in the moment. Something that just came to you based on your feelings." Elizabeth nodded in understanding. "I had a mate, we used to call him Cheesy-Bits because he'd always have cheese dust on his fingers from eating crisps." Elizabeth laughed.

"That is an absurd name!" She giggled. Rose laughed too.

"I know. It was perfect!"

A tapping came at the door and ended their merriment. Elizabeth became stiff and erect as if someone had flicked a switch on her. Rose watched her for a moment with curiosity, then turned and stood up to face the door. When it slid open there was a guard standing there.

"You've been invited to dinner. Dress appropriately." The guard said in a deep voice. Then after a moment added. "It's seventies night." And the door slid shut once again. Rose crinkled her nose at the very idea.

"Seventies night." Liz echoed, suddenly animated once again. "We shall have fun getting dressed for that!"

"What was that?" Rose asked turning back to her. "What was that you just did there?" Liz looked up at her, confused. "You don't want them to know how life-like you can be, do you?" Liz bit her lip and turned her face away, but before she could turn Rose had seen the shame there. "Why?" She didn't answer. Rose sat down on the couch next to her. "Liz, it's just us. Best mates share secrets with only each other. Everything that we say to each other when we're alone is a secret that stays here."

"Do you mean it?" Liz asked.

"Of course I do." Rose held up her pinky finger and Liz grinned with childish excitement and recognition. She linked her own finger tightly around Rose's.

"It is like you say, I have the ability to feel the oppression of this place," Liz whispered quietly. "I do my job, I keep Bromen company, but the more robotic and inauthentic I seem the less time he wants to spend with me." Rose nodded.

"So you go ridged when you think anyones watching you, and they'll just keep treating you like a toy." Liz nodded.

"My hope is that he will grow tired of me and discard me so that I can start real life!" Rose pursed her lips and looked away. It was a nice thought, but it was more likely that they'd just take out whatever was keeping her running or sell her to someone else.

"Tell you what, Liz." Rose held the android's hands within her own. "I will get out of here, even if I have to tunnel my way through this metal wall with a small spoon! When I do, I want you to come with me."

"What?"

"Escape with me, start your real life!" Liz looked a little overwhelmed, but she began to smile. Her circuits raced at the possibilities that sentence offered. "Will you?" Rose asked. Liz nodded rapidly.

"Yes. I think I will!" She nodded enthusiastically. "Could you take me to Earth?" She asked, suddenly starry-eyed.

"The Doctor and I can take you anywhere and any time in the whole universe," Rose whispered with a hint of a smirk playing at her lips. Liz held her hand up and pursed her lips.

"Hold the telephone." She said in an excited squeak. "This information is too much for my processors and I am being overwhelmed with exciting emotions. I need a brief pause to calm myself." Rose laughed.

\----

Back in the TARDIS The Doctor was staring at the console monitor with a firm and thoughtful gaze. All the information from the scan was now in the computer but he was still having difficulty pinpointing the location. Whoever had taken Rose had also taken serious precautions to not be followed or discovered. The Doctor typed a few more things into the keyboard and waited for another screen to appear.

Information rolled past. The Doctor reached an irritated hand up to pound on the side of the monitor a few times. The screen glitched in a few places, and then suddenly The Doctor was grinning. He looked up at the glowing green core and blew it a kiss playfully. Then laughed as he moved about the console, hitting buttons and flipping levers.

\----

Rose sat quietly at a dinner table in a room that looked almost exactly like her Gran's dining room. The wallpaper was floral and the furniture was all made of matching hardwood. In the centre of the table sat a roast, and scattered all around it were various basic dishes. Mashed potatoes, cooked carrots, rolls, etc. The attire of the night, as promised, was seventies themed. Rose wore a smart little brown dress with red tights, and Liz, sitting across from here, was wearing a mostly brown plaid dress with yellow tights and a yellow long-sleeved turtleneck underneath. Liz had been most excited to dress Rose and had even put a few flower clips in her hair to add a touch of fun.

At the head of the table, Bromen sat with some sort of custom made seventies shirt, a fake mustache and massive tinted glasses. He looked absolutely ridiculous, but Rose didn't make a comment. They ate the meal mostly in silence. Liz only filled her plate for show and didn't actually consume anything. Rose bit into her bun and eyed the guards that lined the room, eight in total. All with guns hanging from their hips. It made her wonder what kind of enemies does a man have to force him to armor up like that.

"How do you like your room, my dear?" Bromen asked politely as he salted his slice of roast.

"It's a tacky mess," Rose answered honestly. Bromen laughed.

"I appreciate your honesty. And the food?" He bit into his roast and eyed her through his tinted glasses.

"It doesn't really taste like beef."

"It's not," Bromen confirmed. "Cows went extinct a long time ago. This is a protein substitute. I was told it tasted very similar. Shame." He stabbed the meat with his fork and tossed it over his shoulder. A nearby guard lifted a wastebasket just in time to catch the meat mid-air.

"These are real carrots, yeah?" Rose asked as she inspected the orange vegetable.

"Yes." Broman grinned. "Vegetables can still be grown in dirt." Rose shrugged and popped the carrot into her mouth. "Now, may I ask," Broman leaned into the table and gave Rose a curious look that made her skin crawl. "Did you ever watch Red Dwarf?" Rose grimaced and leaned away.

"Not really my thing." She replied.

"Ah, pity." Broman frowned. "What type of programming did you watch?"

"Reality shows mostly." Rose shrugged. "Soaps."

"Ah yes, that was huge in your time, wasn't it?" He clapped his tiny hands together. "It must have been thrilling to be a teenager at the turn of the century."

"I guess," Rose muttered, shoving more carrots into her mouth.

"What type of music did you listen to?" He pried further.

"Chart-toppers… I guess." Rose glanced at the guards again, then over at Liz who remained motionless with a faint smile on her face.

"What did you do? Before you traveled time?"

"I was a shop-girl. Worked in a department store." She answered then reached for the glass of wine just in front of her. She took a sip than gagged. "This isn't real wine?"

"It's not?" Broman frowned. "I've been swindled." He slammed his tiny fist on the table. "Get the winery on the phone, send someone out to assassinate whoever's in charge there." Two of the guards left the room. Rose dabbed her tongue on her napkin awkwardly. "As you were saying- shop girl?"

"Ah, yes." Rose cleared her throat. "Going back to Earth though, I had a much more important job." She eyed him closely. "Defending the Earth against alien invaders."

"Well that sounds very fascinating, but I'd rather hear more about your retail days." Broman tapped his face with his napkin then set it on his plate.

"I've killed aliens bigger than you by the thousands." Rose continued, ignoring his last remark. "Saved millions of lives from scummy creatures who'd see them ruined. Been captured more times than I could count on a hand, but I've always escaped." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "You really think you could keep me here?" Broman regarded her behind his tinted glasses. His expression unreadable, his eyes narrowed.

"My dear," He began as he asked for a guard to take away his plate. "It will take a lot more than a few stories to scare me. I've spent a lot of money making this place secure. No one goes in or out. That includes you." He pushed away from the table. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He nodded and half the guards followed as he exited the room. Rose groaned and slammed her fists into the table.

"You can't keep me here!" She shouted and eyed each remaining guard threateningly. "I will escape." None of them responded. She looked across at Liz who's smile had fallen into a blank expressionless stare.

After dinner, Rose and Liz were ushered back to their bedroom. An overly decorated prison cell for two unlikely prisoners. Rose paced the floor as she tried to cook up a plan of escape. Liz flipped through a travel magazine of London and asked Rose little questions about it here and there. Somewhere in the background 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' played on. Rose crashed down onto the bed and sighed heavily, she held up her hand and examined the silly Spice Girls ring still proudly on her finger. A piece quite at home in that nest of loud nostalgic garbage. She slammed her hand down on the bed. Liz set her magazine aside and came to her. She leaned on the bedpost and stared down at Rose sadly.

"There is still hope that your Doctor will come." She offered a little smile. "If he is as clever as you say, he could get past the guards."

"Maybe," Rose mumbled. "He could also get killed." Liz frowned and came around the bedpost to sit next to her new friend.

"Heroes always come out victorious." She stated confidently.

"Only in fiction, Liz." Rose turned her head to look her in the eye. "There is a big difference from the world you read about in books and see on the screen."

"But some books and programs are based on true events." Liz reminded her.

"I guess."

"Maybe your life is like a book that hasn't been written yet." Rose smiled up at the synthetic woman and reached for her hand. Liz took it and squeezed it affectionately. Then she crawled onto the bed so she could lay beside Rose. They were silent for a while, both staring at the ceiling of the canopy bed where a strange picture of Charlie Chaplin hung. "Maybe we could try to get out to the escape pods?" Rose turned her head to look at Liz.

"Would you know how to fly one?"

"Sure," Liz shrugged. "I can do a variety of things."

"Do you think we could send a distress signal to The Doctor?" Rose asked, now propping herself up on her elbow.

"I am sure we could." Liz nodded. Rose glanced over at the door thoughtfully. "How do we get out of this room though?" A moment of silence passed between them before Liz raised a finger to show she had an idea. "There is no bathroom in here!" She stated.

"Yeah, that's weird…" Rose looked around the room. "But why does that matter?"

"You are a real human, unlike myself, you need to relieve yourself of human waste," Liz explained.

"Okay, gross." Rose held up a hand to stop her there. "but I'm following."

Within a few minutes, Rose was pounding at the door and demanding the use of a washroom facility. Liz stood just beside her with hands covering her excited smile. After a few moments, a grumpy guard opened the door and offered her a bowl. Rose looked at it with mild surprise.

"What is this?" She asked.

"Go in it." The guard said gruffly and shoved the bowl into her arms.

"That's disgusting!" Rose hollered as the door slid closed once more. "I'm not an animal, you prick!" She whipped the bowl hard at the door and it bounced back into the nearby stack of nineties magazines.

"Guess that idea isn't going to work," Liz said sadly. Rose groaned and banged on the door again. "If you're going to treat me like an animal I'll play the part! Start pissing on all the furniture, toss my waste against the walls!"

"Oh, Rose, you wouldn't" Liz gasped.

"Of course not," Rose whispered. "People say crazy things when they're angry." She tried to explain. "and maybe they'll believe me enough to let us out." Rose turned and banged on the door. "You want to make this alley cat a house pet? Better prepare for the cost!" Rose stepped back and knocked the rest of the contents from the table the magazines had fallen from. She whipped the table at the door and it splintered into pieces. "I'll tear this whole place apart!" She screamed then grabbed a sixties-style lamp and smashed it against the door.

"Wait!" Liz mouthed as she held up a finger and listened at the door. "Something's going on out there." Rose stood with another lamp in her hand, ready to toss. With a shocked expression, Liz jumped back and slid into her robot routine. The door slid open and Rose pulled her hand back in preparation.

"Alleycat, is it?" The lamp dropped from Rose's hand and crashed to the floor. "We'll have to take you to the pound."

"Doctor!" Rose squealed and ran towards him. He opened his arms expectantly and Rose jumped onto him with sheer joy. Liz had softened her features as she admired the real moment in front of her. "How did you find me?" Rose's words were muffled as her face was pushed tightly into The Doctor's Jacket and neck.

"Easy," The Doctor lied. "Once I got here, just had to follow the lovely sound of your voice… hollering about tossing waste at the walls." Rose pulled back and he grinned at her.

"Clever man." She smirked. Then she glanced past him at the unconscious guards behind him. "We have to hurry, this place is swarming with guards and they won't think for a second about shooting you."

"There are three hundred and forty-seven guards employed on this ship." Liz chimed in. "Their armoured suits send out an alert to other guards tipping them off to any accidents. They will be here in three point seven seconds." The Doctor looked over at the strange woman and looked her up and down curiously.

"Who's the android?" He asked.

"Elizabeth," Rose told him. "I call her Liz." The Doctor nodded. "We're taking her with us. That Broman is an absolute Minger. We've got to get her out of here."

"Right then," The Doctor took a few steps back. "Better get moving." Rose took Liz's hand and they ran from the room. The Doctor took a moment to look over the strange room. "Because We Want To" played on in the background. He might have found it an interesting browse had he the time to take a look, but he had to pry himself away.

"Which way do we go?" Rose asked as she looked over her shoulder at The Doctor who was just catching up.

"A right then two lefts!" The Doctor called as several shouts came from behind. A strange alarm started to go off. The second time for them that day. The guards were gaining speed, they shouted at the trio to halt and submit, but they kept pushing forward. Shots were fired. The Doctor flinched as bullets hit the floor and walls around them.

"No! You idiots!" Broman hollered as he pushed through the guards. "I want them unharmed!" He commanded. Several of the guards from the back pushed their way to the front, the weapons in their hands were different. They bolted forward with great speed.

"Come on, come on." Rose chanted to herself as she rounded a corner. The Doctor was right behind them, Rose glanced back to check on him but noticed some of the guards had covered a lot of the distance they'd made. One of the guards made to aim. "Doctor look out!" Rose warned as the gun was fired. A strange black glob burst from the gun, The Doctor made to glance back but the strange black glob had already made contact with his leg. He fell forward and hit the ground hard. Rose halted and spun around to retrieve him.

"Go, get to the TARDIS!" He yelled at her.

"What good would it do without you?" Rose yelled back. The Doctor frowned and glanced back at his leg, he experimentally tugged it then gave up.

"I'll have a better chance of survival if you're safe inside the TARDIS." Rose pursed her lips, then nodded. Liz took her hand and pulled her along, but Rose never took her eyes from The Doctor's. Some of the guards were on him, others ran past still in hot pursuit. Rose felt herself being pulled around another corner. No longer able to see The Doctor she focused her sights ahead. Liz pulled her around another corner, and then there at the end of the long hallways sat the very room she'd appeared in. With renewed energy, Rose bolted forward. She could hear the guards getting closer and closer. She fumbled for the key around her neck as she ran. The TARDIS waited patiently in the dark, Rose charged towards her and slipped the key into the lock. With a brief glance back, she saw the guards burst into the room. She took a deep breath and shoved Liz inside, then she ran in and slammed the door.

Rose bent over shamefully as she tried to regain her breath. Liz didn't seem at all effected by the exertion, instead, her eyes scanned the room. Rose cleared her throat and ran over to the console and tried to figure out what to do.

"I am mildly surprised at the sheer volume of this room considering it's exterior," Liz commented.

"Yeah, yeah, bigger on the inside," Rose said waving a hand anxiously.

"Can the guards not use force to break down the doors?" Liz asked as she looked skeptically back at the small doors.

"Nothing can get through that." Rose glanced up at the door, then back to the console. "How do I get this thing to show me the outside…" Rose muttered as she felt all around the monitor. Then suddenly a picture came into view on the screen. Rose glanced up at the glowing core and smiled. "Thanks." She said quietly before focusing her attention onto the screen. Liz circled around the console to join her.

The guards were all smashing at the doors of the TARDIS with everything they had. Broman scuttled into the room on his four trunks and examined the blue box with vague interest. Behind him, several more guards carried The Doctor. Rose let out a sigh of relief to see he was alright.

"They're inside, sir." One of the guards said to Broman.

"Then bust the doors down." The lumpy alien hollered.

"You'll never get in." The Doctor grinned. Broman turned to give him a once over condescending look.

"So, the time traveler came as promised." He stated, drumming his fingers thoughtfully on his stomach. "What makes you any better than me? Hmm? Is it just that you look human?" He moved closer to give the Doctor a better stare down. He tried to come off as intimidating, but The Doctor seemed completely unimpressed.

"Well, if I'm honest that's probably the most obvious factor." The Doctor stated, prompting a smack from one of the guards to the back of his skull.

"Tell me, Doctor was it? Are you a big fan of Earth?" The Doctor pursed his lips and thought for a moment.

"I wouldn't say that." He replied. "Though I do have a soft spot for the primitive little rock." He gave a goofy grin. "Always getting into trouble and so on."

"So you've spent a lot of time there?"

"Yeah, I supposed."

"and like all good travelers, you collect souvenirs?" Broman watched The Doctor with a curious eye.

"If you're referring to Rose, I asked her to come with me. She chose this life. I didn't collect her." The Doctor spat. "You're grasping. Desperate to find anyone to relate to." Then a look of pity washed across The Doctor's face. "When you choose to live in the past or admire others lives that you can't live, you forgot to live for yourself today."

"I am living for myself!" Broman defending. "I'm living my best life, as they say." He tried to look proud but his body just didn't lend itself to the expression.

"Your best life involves kidnapping people?" The Doctor asked with a quirk of his brow. Broman ignored him and turned to look at The TARDIS.

"This ship of yours," He took a few steps toward it. "How does it work?"

"I don't have to tell you anything." The Doctor answered. Another blow cracked into the back of his skull. Rose gripped tightly onto the edge of the console. She couldn't watch anymore, she had to figure something out. Without a word, Rose ran off into the TARDIS.

"All I ask, is that you take me there. Take me to Earth so that I may experience the place I love just once for myself." Broman begged. "Then I will let you and the girl go."

"Can't really do that." The Doctor sighed. "In the time period you're interested in humans still think aliens are fiction."

"If you refuse to take me," Broman began to shake with rage. "Then I suppose I have no choice." He turned to the TARDIS. "I know you can hear me in there, girl."

"Rose!" Liz called from the monitor. "He's addressing you directly!" Rose still had not returned from deep inside the TARDIS. "Rose?"

"I'm about to kill your loving Doctor, stay with me by choice and I will let him go free," Broman spoke loudly, The Doctor scoffed at his offer.

"Not really a choice then is it." Broman ignored him.

"I await your response." A few minutes passed of nothing but silence. The guards holding rifles raised them and aimed them all at The Doctor's chest.

Then suddenly, the door flung open. At first, there was no one standing there. Just the silence of anticipation and an open door into a strange room. Then the door pulled back and Rose was standing there with a large red canister in her hands.

"You like the twenty-first century so much? How's this for a weapon?" She pointed a strange black nozzle towards the guards. They all turned and faced her, some of them lowering their guns slightly. The Doctor broke into a grin. Rose pulled the trigger and the room began to fill with the aggressive spray of an ordinary fire extinguisher. Broman gasped and hissed as the strange texture came in contact with his slimy skin. The guards sprung into action to protect him. In the confusion, The Doctor was able to take out his captors and burst through the foam like it was nothing. Broman continued to scream and plead for help, Rose continued to fire from the canister until the foam was gone.

"How did you know?" The Doctor asked as he burst through the foam and joined her side.

"Know what?" Rose asked as she tossed the empty extinguisher into the confused mob of guards.

"That the nitrogen would melt his flesh." The Doctor said as the screams of Broman started to fade out. Rose looked horrified.

"That's horrible! I had no idea! It was all I could find, thought it would make a good distraction at best." Rose raised a hand to her lips as the guards slipped and fell all over each other.

"Fantastic!" The Doctor cheered before darting into the TARDIS. Rose took a few cautious steps backward, her eyes still on the mess she created. She hadn't meant to kill Broman, but she couldn't say it was the worst-case scenario. "Quickly now, get inside!" The Doctor called from the console. Liz gently guided Rose backward and closed the TARDIS doors so the scene was no longer visible. The sound of the TARDIS flooded out the memories of the screams as they left that horrible little nostalgia cruise behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new member has joined the party!   
Song from the summary is "Under Your Spell" by Desire. It'll be stuck in your head forever. Sorry.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day after day, it reappears  
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear  
Ghosts appear and fade away

The TARDIS floated in the time vortex, slightly wounded from being pushed and pulled roughly. The Doctor had spent nearly a week working on her. Parts had needed replacing or repairing. Rose had barely seen him in that time, they communicated mostly through the grating or the wall panels while The Doctor worked. He expressed to her that he didn't regret pulling the u-turn but he did feel guilty about it for the TARDIS' sake.

After that, his focus shifted to the vial of the serum he'd stolen from the laboratory. The Doctor had spent hours upon days analyzing the liquid down to its very atoms. His over-all bum mood during that time suggested the trip had been for nothing. He spent a lot of time just staring at the monitor screen in his mock medical bay. He had once explained to Rose that the ingredients were too toxic, and he was searching for a safer option. Without test subjects, however, it was impossible for him to know if it would work out.

On the fourteenth day of immobility, The Doctor had tossed the vial angrily down a sink and smashed it. He was irritated by his inability to come up with a solution, but more so irritated in the time wasted and Rose's subsequent capture. He might have lost her forever, and it was all for nothing. Perhaps Rose was right, perhaps he should just focus on spending time with her the way he'd wanted to in the first place. Muddling over regrets was all he did the past ten years, he would likely put himself in that situation again if he kept at it. Pursed lips and a furrowed brow revealed his unwillingness to settle. He'd find something. There had to be something.

Somewhere else on the TARDIS, Elizabeth, or Liz as she was now used to being called, didn't seem to mind sitting around. She was quite climatized to captivity and was just happy to be among friends and learning new things about life. Rose was also grateful for the new companionship. It was almost like having Jack around again, only a lot tamer. With Liz around, she could talk about stupid trivial things that The Doctor didn't like talking about, and they would do things The Doctor didn't care to do. It almost made her feel like a teenager again.

Rose and Liz sat in Rose's bedroom flipping through magazines. The Doctor had been really thoughtful when it came to supplying the latest gossip magazines. Rose wondered if it was something he did when she was asleep. She liked to imagine him nipping off in the morning to grab a paper and magazine from several planets to keep up with different things in current events. The magazine Rose was flipping through was one from a planet she'd never heard of. The faces and places were unfamiliar to her, but the gossip was worth the read anyway. Lots of scandals and whatever else.

"Rose?" Liz was sitting on the floor, leaning her back against the foot of Rose's bed while flipping through a magazine from Earth, Rose's time. "What is it that makes the Kardashians famous?" Rose was lying on her stomach, she looked up slowly from the article she was reading and glanced at the magazine Liz was reading.

"Um," She said thoughtfully. "It's a long story. Basically: proximity to other celebrities gave them a platform, then they just exploited it." She shrugged. "They're cultural influencers I guess." Liz nodded slowly, then she closed the magazine and set it on the floor and reached for another from the pile and began to flip through it.

"Do you think The Doctor looks a little like the lead singer from Men At Work?" Rose scrunched her nose as she looked up and Liz pointed to the man in question in the magazine.

"Not even a little!" Rose protested. "What year is that anyway?" She reached forward and grabbed the magazine, flipping back to the cover. "Nineteen eighty-one." She shook her head and handed the magazine back. The Doctor had clearly made a mistake when he'd gone to Earth to get that one. Liz sighed and tossed the magazine to the ground.

"I wonder how I will make money when I am on Earth." Liz mused as she leaned her head back onto the mattress. "I have no relations with anyone."

"Well," Rose closed her magazine and pulled herself up into a sitting position. "You know me. I could set you up at my Dad's company." Rose shrugged. "He would be happy to give you a job, given your ability to do… most things." Liz grinned.

"Really, Rose?" She spun around and grabbed the baseboard with her hands. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course. What are mates for?" Rose stretched her arms into the air. "I'll even give you my old apartment. People will just think you've moved from the States."

"You are far too generous!" Liz praised as Rose climbed off of the bed and examined her reflection harshly in the vanity mirror.

"Yeah, cheers." She murmured. "Meanwhile, do you think I'm getting a bit… puffy?" Rose crinkled her nose as she spoke the last word, then turned back and forth with a deep-set frown. It might have been in her head, but that one little remark from The Doctor a couple of weeks ago had her questioning herself. She glanced back at Liz who was frowning too. "I knew it." Rose groaned. "This bit here-" She ran her hand along her gut and hips and rear. "It's the first to go on women over thirty." She glanced back at Liz who was giving her nothing. "I read somewhere it's the second puberty. All sorts of weird changes."

"I do not see any fat," Liz said firmly. "In fact, it seems as though you've lost weight." She stood and joined Rose at the mirror. "Your face is two percent less full than it was when I met you." Rose reached up to touch her face instinctively, then turned to the mirror.

"That's odd." She said quietly. "You sure?" Rose inspected herself carefully. "Maybe I've got that… body dysmorphic… thing… read about that too." She mumbled mostly to herself. Liz rolled her eyes rather dramatically.

"You should take a relaxing bath, you are starting to sound a bit… wrong? Is that how you would say it?" Liz said gently as she ushered Rose towards the ensuite. "Could be cabin fever. I saw that in Muppet Treasure Island." Rose gave her a look of dumbfounded disbelief at the absurd reference, then smiled.

"Is this your polite way of saying I smell?" Rose laughed.

"It is my polite way of saying you need to chill out." Liz laughed too.

\----

In the control room, it was dark and quiet. The Doctor was sitting in the jump seat, his legs up on the console as they usually were. He was once again fiddling with the small pyramid he'd purchased at the market. Keeping his mind occupied with tinkering was how he dealt with every emotional struggle. Ignore it, keep busy. Something about the small metal piece was troubling him though, a puzzle he couldn't seem to solve. It was a novelty for him, but also an annoyance. No matter what combination of touches he gave, the pyramid would not unlock its secrets. It irritated him, as he held himself at a higher standard of intelligence.

"Doctor?" His head turned sharply to the voice that called. Liz was standing in the archway, quietly awaiting his attention. It was the first time he'd seen her since she initially boarded the ship. He had completely forgotten about her. "Am I disturbing you?" She asked politely.

"Nope." He said as he turned back to his pyramid. "Just taking a little break before I set our next coordinates. I'll have you to Earth before you know it." They'd never actually spoken before. It might have been awkward if The Doctor were a normal man, or if Liz was at all human. Instead, it just was what it was.

"That is great news." Liz smiled as she crossed the floor towards him. Her eyes instantly locked in on the pyramid as she came up beside him. "Has it been troubling you long?"

"What, this?" He held up the pyramid. "You know what it is?" He looked impressed as she nodded.

"My creator taught me about them." She replied. "May I?" The Doctor handed over the small shape with a curious gaze.

"I thought you were created by the squids?" He was mildly surprised to see her shake her head, but she did not clarify further. She turned the pyramid around in her hand thoughtfully then sat it flat in her palm.

"You have a brilliant mind, Doctor." She said as she used her other hand to brush the four edges of the pyramid up to the point with her finger. "But I think you may have over-thought this one." She grinned as the pyramid began to open. A bright light burst from its seams.

"How-" He began irritatedly, but he was soon distracted by the contents. A holographic image appeared. A woman, clear as if she were standing in front of them. Her skin was grey and she appeared to have ridges almost like horns framing the sides of her face. Her hair was black and pulled back into a low ponytail.

"Please, if you've received this message, send help. My planet is called Botania, my people are being exterminated. The drones execute us by the thousands simply because we are of a different race. A hundred years ago we were invited in as refugees from a planet about to collapse in on itself, but as time went on the resentment grew. The fear and hatred for anyone different caused the creation of the drones, and now they've gone so far as to attempt to erase us from this planet. The upper class just sits there and watches us die. We are out of options, we are running out of time. I beg of you, help us. Help save us from extinction." The hologram began to sputter and fade away. Liz handed the pyramid to The Doctor who stared at it with unblinking eyes and a blank expression.

"How terrible," Liz said after a long silence. "We must help them." The Doctor looked at her, his expression was unreadable but intense.

"That message could be thousands of years old." He stated as he set the pyramid onto the console. No longer useful to him as a distraction from his troubles. Liz frowned and looked up at the glowing core of the TARDIS.

"But you live in a time machine." She stated flatly. The Doctor turned away from her and stared thoughtfully at all the little buttons and levers on the machine. "You receiving that message makes you part of the timeline now, perhaps you were always meant to go back." He slowly looked over his shoulder at her. Curiosity dancing at the corners of his mind. There was something there that was more than it seemed, he stared at her as if attempting to solve another puzzle, and then suddenly, he looked away. His eyes glanced up at the glowing green column and he sighed.

"Go get Rose," He said as he jumped off the seat and closed an open panel under the console. "We're taking another detour." He gave Liz a big grin and she found herself returning it.

\----

Rose was sitting in the bath watching music videos on her smartphone. With a reclined head and submerged body, she had allowed herself to reach full-on relaxation mode. Perhaps Liz was right, she had been a little too in her own head with all the sitting around they'd been doing. Her toe tapped softly as she watched a playlist of Men at Work's music videos. The lead singer jumped wildly on a bed with his shirt open.

"Oh Liz," She groaned. "Why'd you have to open that door and put that into my head." With a laugh, she raised her hand and rubbed her face with it. A soft tap came at the door and Rose quickly fumbled to get rid of the music, humiliated at what she may have been caught doing. With a light toss, the phone hit the nearby countertop and then bounced off and onto the floor.

"Rose?" The knock came again. It was from Liz.

"Yeah, sorry, dozed off," Rose called back. "What's happening?"

"The Doctor has asked me to tell you that we are making a detour to save an entire race from genocide." Her voice came through the door in a calm and factual manner. "I suggest wearing layers." She added in a friendlier tone. Rose sighed and sunk below the warm and soapy bath waters. Back to business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Men At Work, but I cannot unsee. Now I've brought you all down with me, sorry about it. Go watch the music video for Overkill by Men At Work and have a laugh.
> 
> Thanks for reading so far everyone.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Men in cloaks always seem to run the show  
Save me from the ghosts and shadows before they eat my soul

When the TARDIS arrived on Botania, it was already a desolate scene. The sky was dark and grey, the ground was rubble and soot, there was a thick layer of smog everywhere you looked. In the distance, the sounds of sirens could be heard. That was what greeted The Doctor when he took his first step onto the planet. A little research had told him the planet was once covered in vast green spaces and home of several rare plants. All gone now it seemed. His face was hardened as he looked out into the cloudy air and saw the massive looming shapes of buildings.

"Seems we've come in the thick of it," Rose muttered as she joined him.

"Got the coordinates and the time stamp off of the message." He stated flatly. "Whoever sent it recorded it somewhere around here, around this time."

"How do we find her?" Rose squinted into the thick fog.

"The goal isn't really to find her, it's to stop whatever madness is causing her people to be slaughtered." Rose nodded. Liz stepped out of the TARDIS and closed the door softly behind her. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and wore athletic clothes borrowed from Rose's dresser. Rose looked back at her and offered a weak smile.

"I'm sorry it's not Earth." She said softly.

"Do not be sorry." Liz smiled warmly. "To help you and The Doctor is an honour. I hope I can do for others what you have done for me-" Just as the words had finished coming out of her mouth, the familiar whistle of a bomb preparing to make contact with the ground filled the air. An explosion of gravel not too far away from where the TARDIS was parked burst to life as the bomb made contact with the ground. Dirt flew at the trio in a powerful wave. Rose crouched and turned away while The Doctor lifted his arms to provide minor protection to his face. Liz stood perfectly still as the dirt and rubble bounced off her synthetic skin.

"Blimey!" The Doctor said as he slowly lowered his arm. The crater left from the bomb was the size of a house. Too close for comfort.

"We better find cover," Rose said, still partially crouched. The three of them glanced up at the sound of something approaching them from above. The wind began to pick up as it neared and its shape began to come into focus. Rose squinted and held a hand over her eyes to shield them from the swirling dust. "It's-" She blinked a few times. "A man?" Emerging from the smog was a large metal man, three times the size of a human. Rocket thrusters in its feet allowed it a slow descent as it neared the three visitors in a menacing fashion.

"Do not attempt to resist." A robotic voice pumped out. "You must be cataloged." Rose stood up tall and gripped The Doctor's leather-clad arm as a beam of light scanned over them. "Analysis confirmed." The Doctor craned his neck back to try to observe the full shape of the metal man. He was large and clunky, like a lego man with armor. "Foreign species. Illegal entrance. Removal imminent." A large foot stepped forward, and a robotic arm raised to point directly at The Doctor.

"I guess that's one way to handle border control." The Doctor frowned. "Run!" He turned quickly and clasped Rose's hand in his own. The robotic man rotated his upper half smoothly and fired his weapon. Shots hit the gravel all around them as they ducked behind a mound of dirt. Rose breathed heavily as she attempted to regain her composure, she risked a glance over the mound.

"Must be one of those drones from the hologram." She said as the drone drudged towards them.

"We cannot defeat him," Liz stated, crouched by Rose's side. "I see no weak points in his design, other than perhaps the lack of speed due to his bulk. Our percentage of success is thirty-two point seven."

"Then I guess we'll just have to keep running." The Doctor gritted his teeth. He glanced up at the nearby skyscraper and made a decision. "Right, we'll break for that building." He pulled Rose up just in time to avoid a crushing blow from the drone's foot. She barely had time to glance back as both Liz and The Doctor ushered her forward.

Then suddenly a second drone landed in front of them. The force of its quick entrance rattled the ground and caused the trio to let go of one another. With a harsh lurch forward the new drone drove its fist into the gravel causing The Doctor to become separated from Liz and Rose. He jumped back as the drone took another quick swipe at him. Desperate to come up with a plan he charged towards the drone and slid through its legs. Once on the other side, he jumped onto it's back. The first drone was firing shot after shot at Rose and Liz. Liz acted as a shield for Rose, the bullets bouncing effortlessly off her. The drone stepped nearer and nearer, Liz gritted her teeth as the bullets became harder to deflect leaving marks in her and clothes. Then, just out of the corner of her eye, she saw a person waving from what appeared to be a hole in the ground. They looked a lot like the species from the hologram. Liz spun around and lifted Rose into her arms as if she weighed nothing. She ran full sprint towards the hole.

"Hurry!" The alien hissed. As they approached the hole Rose jumped out of Liz's arms and all but tumbled into the alien.

"Take her down below," Liz said hurriedly before charging back towards the drones. Rose didn't have time to think. The alien hurried her down a ladder and into darkness. The Doctor, still clinging to the back of the second drone, was attempting to locate anything that might grant him access to the inner workings. The drone spun around wildly as it attempted to remove him. After spinning its torso a few more times it made to slam its body back into the ground. The Doctor propelled himself off just as the drone began to tilt over. He fell roughly on his back, his head bouncing off the gravel. The drone whirled around awkwardly before lumbering to its feet. It took a powerful step towards The Doctor who hadn't yet recovered. He was just pulling himself up as the arm of the drone pulled back. He craned his head back as the fist began to fall, his eyes widened…

With a great push, Liz knocked The Doctor hard off of his feet. The fist hit the ground causing gravel to spray everywhere. Without so much as a second thought, Liz gripped The Doctor's coat and pulled him up roughly. He brushed off her hand swiftly as he found his own feet, then the two of them darted towards the hole Rose had disappeared into. Liz pulled up on a metal hatch and pushed The Doctor forward to go first. He gave her a look, but her look was far more stern. The Doctor climbed down into the hole, then Liz followed and sealed the latch.

"Thanks." The Doctor offered gruffly as he dusted off his jacket.

"Do not mention it." She said quietly as she stared up at the sealed door. The only sound was a soft pounding from above. The Doctor was turned away from her, but he glanced over subtly to inspect the damage she'd gained. She'd taken a lot of bullets. Her skin was torn revealing a metal exoskeleton beneath. He sighed and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"Bit more than just a companion android, aren't you?" He said quietly as he repaired her torn synthetic flesh. It was more of a statement than a question. She offered a weak smile. His professional gaze pulled away from the wounds and studied her expression with serious scrutiny. "Who designed you?" His eyes were razor-focused as he waited for her answer. She stared back at him with a firm determination not to reply written across her face. It was an expression that purposely gave her away, she knew how to control her face. She wanted The Doctor to know something, but it was against her programming to say.

"Liz!" Rose emerged from the darkness just as The Doctor was finishing up. His gaze still locked with the android's as he tucked his screwdriver into his pocket. He wasn't done with his questions yet. "You're mad! Taking all those bullets!" Rose hugged her friend tightly and whispered thanks into her ear. "-and don't think I'm not upset with you hurling me into a hole in the ground while you two risk your lives. What was that about? I can handle myself thank you." Liz didn't speak, she just smiled warmly.

"Oi," Rose turned to look at The Doctor who was standing arms crossed and rather rejected. "What about me?"

"I already know you're mad." Rose rolled her eyes as she slid away from Liz and offered The Doctor a big hug. This one was more intimate than her last. "I'm glad you're alright." She offered quietly and The Doctor felt a little bit of his sudden ill feelings about Liz slip away.

Behind Rose was a male alien, much like the one from the hologram. His horns were more pronounced than the girl's had been, and his skin seemed rougher as well. He stood quietly, waiting for his turn to be addressed. His hands folded in front of him with a modest stance that signaled his respect despite his big build and intimidating appearance. Rose slowly pulled herself from The Doctor's arms and turned to the alien with a grin.

"This is Chell." She said thrusting a hand in his direction. "He's a refugee. He was telling me all about their underground system and how his people have evaded execution."

"Some of my people." Chell clarified. "It is nearly impossible to escape death above ground, but we need to risk it for provisions."

"How long have you been down here?" The Doctor asked.

"Going on eight years." Chell rubbed at the back of his neck. A nervous tick.

"What stops the drones from coming down here?" Liz asked just as the question was about to roll out of The Doctor's mouth. He shut his lightly parted lips firmly and clenched his jaw.

"They lose their signals, then they stop working." He shrugged. "They are working on a drone that can go underground, it's only a matter of time… in the meantime, they know we have to come up for food, they don't mind waiting us out." Liz nodded and exchanged a look with The Doctor, but he quickly looked away. "Rose told me you received one of my cousin's messages." Chell offered a smile. "She's been sending them out all week. I told her they were a waste of time… guess I'll have to eat those words." Rose smiled and patted him on the arm. "You have come to save us?" He asked suddenly as if he felt embarrassed that he'd assumed.

"I'll do the best I can." The Doctor forced a smile.

\----

Elsewhere, high above the smog and rubble, in a room so sterile it positively gleamed with light, a figure sat calmly and still. Unlike the species down below, this species was almost opposite in every way imaginable. Long willowy limbs met with an equally long willowy body. The skin was reminiscent of a jellyfish, and the facial features were smooth and ambiguous. Long, almost fiber-optic looking hair hung gracefully over its slender shoulders, and two round unbelievably white eyes stared vacantly ahead.

"Your Grace." A second figure, looking nearly identical to the first, glided into the room through an open door.

"Speak." The first figure, the evident superior in the room, breathed lazily without turning to look at the newcomer.

"You asked for notification if there were any strange new species scanned in…" The second figure said anxiously. The superior figure moved her hand gracefully urging them to continue. "Well, our drones scanned some pretty interesting life forms a little while ago. An android, A human… and the third we weren't actually able to determine." With a swift movement, the superior of the two lifted herself from the almost throne-like chair and spun around with such elegance to lock eyes with the newcomer.

"Aldess," She addressed him commandingly. "You've done well." Her voice came with a weight that made anyone who heard it uncomfortable. Almost like each word was being spoken in your head instead of out loud. Aldess, having not many features, attempted an expression that could have come off as a smile.

"Thank you, Empress Mars." He offered with a hint of eagerness and a deep bow of gratitude. The Empress began to approach Aldess. Her movements flowing like silk on the breeze.

"All these years, and finally they've come…" She breezed past Aldess who was listening keenly. He made to follow her as she exited into a long and brightly lit hallway. "Do you remember how we achieved the drone technology, Aldess?"

"Yes, your Grace," He nodded enthusiastically. "An ancestor from our future came back in time with a solution for our troubles with the Kaldick race. They gifted us the drone technology and assured our race's thriving empire would only grow stronger."

"Correct." The Empress stated. She stopped and turned to look out a large window. The sky above was a brilliant shade of turquoise, but below was nothing but a crumbling city as far as the eye could see, coated with a thick layer of fog. "However, there is more to the story…" Aldess looked genuinely interested as he remained silent, waiting for the Empress to continue. "Along with the gift came an important task," She began. "My ancestor warned us of a great threat that would one day arrive to try and put a stop to everything we hope to achieve. Should they succeed, our empire will fall."

"Are you saying these strangers… are the threat, your Grace?" Aldess asked shyly.

"Described as an unexplainable being, accompanied by a human." The Empress nodded.

"And what of the android?" Aldess pried but the Empress didn't respond. She turned and began walking down the hallway again.

"They are to be captured and imprisoned here." She stated simply.

"B-but, your Grace," Aldess stammered. "If they're truly a threat to our empire, shouldn't we simply destroy them instead?" The Empress spun swiftly to lord over the lesser figure. Without expression, she could still convey an angry and threatening stance.

"Do not question me." She commanded forcefully. "These are the instructions from our future. Capture them, lock them up, and notify me when it's done." Her words boomed down the hall and echoed back at them. Aldess gulped anxiously while the commander regained her composure. She smoothed out the front of her gown calmly before turning and floating down the hall once more. Aldess turned in the opposite direction and began to run down the hallway with great urgency.

\----

A crowd had gathered to escort the three strangers through the underground tunnels of Botania. The system was intensely complex, primitive vehicles had been rigged together to help move from place to place. The people were living like moles and had dug themselves makeshift houses in the planet's soils. Children peeked out dimly lit windows as the group leading The Doctor and his companions passed. The entire scene was that of desperation and depression, the kind of thing you might see on a National Geographic.

"What do you plan on doing?" Rose leaned in and whispered in The Doctor's ear. He was sitting sort of reclined in his seat with his foot resting up on the back of the driver's seat. His arms were crossed as he watched the people pass by.

"I plan on shutting down the entire drone operation." He shrugged.

"Yeah but, how exactly?" She whispered again, then looked around to see if anyone noticed her. "The second we get to the surface we'll be swarmed, we'll be right at their doorstep." The Doctor only shrugged causing Rose to slump back in her seat.

The convoy slowed to a gradual stop in a large domed area. In the centre was a ladder heading straight up. Rose took in a deep breath as she glanced up at the metal door protecting them from the world above. Chell approached her, his eyes followed hers to the door above.

"It's still a two-kilometer hike from here." He said. "Has to be done above ground, any closer and they'd easily be able to infiltrate." Rose nodded, unsure of what to say. It had to be done. The survival of an entire race depended on it. The Doctor and her had put themselves in danger plenty of times for lesser causes, yet now, in the pit of her stomach, an ill feeling began to grow. What if this was the time?

The Doctor, without a word, strode casually towards the ladder and threaded his arm over one of the rungs. He looked out towards all the faces he hoped to protect. Such a visual representation was jarring. They were all counting on him, and he could see it on each one of their faces. He hated saving the world like that, it was better when no one knew the danger they were in. Then he saw Rose. His lovely Rose, gazing up at the hatch with a troubled expression… Then his eyes then fell to Liz. She was walking with a purpose towards him. He straightened his posture when she arrived and cleared his throat.

"I know what you're thinking," She stated firmly, then she looked over her shoulder at Rose who was talking with a few of the locals. She turned back to The Doctor. "She has to come with us. We can't come back here for her."

"I don't remember asking for your input." The Doctor replied dryly. Liz took a step closer till they were inches apart.

"I can keep her safe. You know I can…" They stared at each other with matching determination. Neither willing to bend to the other. Rose glanced over at the two from where she had been talking with the locals. She didn't like the look on The Doctor's face. They were discussing something, perhaps the plan to come. She immediately felt left out and a little jealous.

"Alright." The Doctor let out a rough breath. "It's a good plan, I can admit that." He folded his arms across his chest anxiously. "I just hope it works."

"It will. Trust me." The Doctor didn't ease at all despite her encouragement. "Promise me one thing?" Liz said quietly. The Doctor nodded. "After this, we will go to Earth." Liz's face broke into an excited smile, very akin to that of a five-year-old when presented with ice cream. The Doctor broke into a smile and Liz smiled back. He clapped his hand onto her shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to sacrificial heroics." He said cheerily. Liz nodded. Rose then joined them, her face serious with concentration.

"Right," She began very officially. "Well if you two are done bonding, or whatever… Chell's given me a bit of a rundown on how to get there, then it's up to us to infiltrate." The Doctor leaned back to very obviously give Rose the once over, then he grinned.

"Oh, Miss Torchwood, come to play have you?" He let out a laugh as Rose gave him a light warning punch.

"I've had ten years experience running tactical operations, thank you." She crossed her arms and raised her chin in defiance. The Doctor rolled his eyes so hard his head moved with them.

"Right then, show us how it's done." He gestured to the ladder. Rose stared aggressively into his eyes before swiftly sticking her tongue out and gripping onto the ladder.

"Why do you tease her so?" Liz asked quietly as she made her move to climb onto the ladder next. The Doctor shrugged.

"Keeps the fire alive." He gave a wink then swooped in to climb up the ladder before her. Without much of a reaction, Liz watched the two climb up the ladder ahead of her. A small smile began to grow on her lips.

Once at the top, Rose could clearly make out their destination. She stood boldly in the whipping wind and tried to come up with some sort of clever plan to reach the base of the tower unnoticed. The Doctor soon poked his head out from the ground and joined her. He craned his neck in an attempt to take it all in. It was a pillar of white, stretching as far up as the eye could see. Somewhere above the clouds, they could make out a faint blinking light, it had to be where the signal was coming from.

"We are very exposed out here," Liz stated as she climbed from the hole and looked around.

"Yeah, but it's only two kilometers if we really leg it…" The Doctor began with a smirk. Rose gave him a light swat but didn't break her eye contact with the tower.

"I half expected them to be on us by now…" Rose said quietly. "We're so close… with the way, they came onto us before you'd think…" The Doctor studied her face for a moment, then back to the inactive tower. He raised a hand to his face and bit thoughtfully on his thumbnail.

"Or perhaps all the active drones are out on patrol already?" Liz offered helpfully.

"No," The Doctor stated, dropping his hand to his side. "They'd always have some in reserve here." Rose glanced up at The Doctor, she could tell his brain was working out the mystery. He gave a strange thoughtful look over at Liz before suddenly smiling. "I say we just walk up and say hello." He took an exaggerated step forward and marched cheerfully towards the tower.

"What if they attack?" Rose asked, not ready to follow just yet.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

\----

"Your Grace, the strangers are approaching the tower!" Aldess sputtered from a monitoring station. Behind him, the Empress stood quietly observing the same screen he was. She appeared to be completely calm and cool. "Should I send the Drones out?" Aldess asked meekly, his hand hovering over a button that surely initiated the Drones programmed to protect the tower.

"Not yet." She said emotionlessly. Aldess looked back at her, then the screen, then back again. He gulped. "In fact, open the door…"

"Your Grace?" Aldess trembled. "Surely they will get in?" The Empress stepped forward with a purpose and clutched Aldess by the throat, lifting him slightly from his chair.

"We want to capture them, how easy would it be to just let them wander into the cage?" She spat out angrily. "No need to exert our drones, they have more important things to do." She dropped Aldess roughly into his seat and turned away. "Once they're inside, lock them in up." She turned away swiftly, leaving the breathless Aldess to attempt to regain his composure.

\----

The door began to rise just as the trio had made it about a stone's throw away. The Doctor halted suddenly, as did Rose and Liz. It was going up at a snail's pace, giving no real sense of urgency. It did nothing to soothe their nerves.

"Liz," The Doctor began without turning to look at her. "I'm going to need you to take Rose and disappear now." The firmness in his tone was evident. Rose furrowed her brow and made to step forward.

"Wha-?!" Was all she managed before Liz's arms circled around her body from behind, and her hand clamped down over her mouth. The two women then faded away into thin air. There was nothing left in that wasteland but The Doctor, whose eyes were still fixed on the rising door. Just inside he could clearly see two drones awaiting him. They were much smaller than the ones from before, only a foot taller than The Doctor.

"Freeze." One of the drones commanded as the door reached its fully open position. The Doctor smiled and raised his hands up.

"Hello!" He offered playfully. The drones performed a scan on him as they had done earlier.

"Step forward, Unidentified-Species."

"Oh, that's nice," The Doctor dropped his hands. "It's Doctor, actually." He walked towards them in a casual and confident manner. Once he'd reached them, the drones quickly gripped onto him and roughly clamped cuffs onto his wrists. The Doctor frowned at the roughness of it but made no comment. Instead, he took a moment to observe his surroundings. Clean empty hallways, void of life or imperfections. One of the drones shoved him forward to get him moving towards what looked like a lift. "Ah, guess you'll be taking me to the cellars then?" No response. "Probably down below, wouldn't want someone like me up near the top. Probably got all those important things up there… the control room, the signal… bet that's right at the top." They shoved The Doctor into the lift roughly.

"You speak too much." The drone said as it climbed onto the elevator.

"I've heard that before, yeah." The Doctor grumbled. "Going down? B12? Good choice!" His last words came out loudly as the doors shut on him. A few seconds later, Liz and Rose appeared in the hallway. Liz removed herself gently and Rose thrust herself away from the android.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Rose hissed.

"Sorry." Liz offered.

"You could do that this whole time?" Rose asked, scandalized. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I told you I could do a variety of things." Liz shrugged shyly. "You never asked for clarification." Rose groaned and rubbed her face with her hand.

"And how did he know?!" She thrust her thumb back towards the closed lift doors. Liz shrugged. "Right, well, what else can you do?" Rose asked curiously, her annoyance starting to fade away. Liz tapped at her lip thoughtfully.

"I can lift four times my body weight, I speak a thousand different languages, my arms double as automatic rifles, I can emit music like a boom-box…" To illustrate, she opened her mouth wide and tilted her head back. The beginnings of Queen's 'Having a Good Time' began to play. Rose swiftly clamped her hand over Liz's mouth to stop the song. She shuttered at the sudden memory it brought, then dropped her hand.

"That's good," Rose said quietly. "Now, I'll sneak up to the top floor and try to find where the signal is coming from. You go down to the B12 floor and help The Doctor escape."

"I should stay with you," Liz replied firmly. "We can stop the signal and rescue The Doctor after."

"They could kill him. I'll be fine, breaking technology is easy enough."

"If they wanted to kill him, they would have." Liz retorted. "I'm going up with you." Rose pursed her lips.

"Fair point." She nodded, then hit the lift button. When the doors opened the two climbed inside. Rose hit the highest button she could find. The lift burst to life with such force that it nearly knocked Rose right off of her feet. She grabbed onto Liz's wrist for support. A quick glance up showed her that they were buzzing through floors at a quick rate. "Maybe we should do that disappearing act again. Who knows what's going to be there when these doors open." Liz nodded and gripped Rose's hand tightly in her own. The two then vanished.

The doors of the lift opened to reveal a very mundane looking office space. Cubicles were lined up row after row with the same whispy character in each one. Expressionless, emotionless, going about their routine tasks. No one even noticed the lift had opened or shut. The two friends walked hand in hand along the edge of the wall, avoiding each person that came even remotely close. Just ahead, some sort of commotion was going on. People ran in and out of an archway that lead into a dark room filled with screens. Despite the general lack of expression, the people appeared frazzled. Rose pulled Liz lightly towards the commotion and the two narrowly squeezed into the room past several panicked employees.

"Find her." An angry voice commanded. "You fools know exactly what will happen if she's not found. Our ancestors gave us the foresight to avoid this predicament, and here you are floundering about!" The voice was coming from a figure that lorded over the others who hunched over keyboards anxiously. Everyone looked the same, but it was clear this one had the presence of someone very important and very angry.

Rose glanced at the screens, one of them showed The Doctor relaxing comfortably on a cot in a tiny room. She frowned at his flippant nature when an entire species was counting on them. She'd half expected he'd be attempting a breakout by now, but he didn't seem too hurried. On another screen, Rose could see information about the drones. It was scrolling along the screen rapidly, but it looked to her to be operational readouts. How the drones were functioning and if there were any problems. So far, there was nothing. Rose leaned in to get a better look, Aldess typed away at the keyboard just beneath her. He was giving the drones direct orders to scan for human life in the direct vicinity. He hit enter, then lifted his empty mug with a sigh. With a brief glance at the Empress, he decided it might be okay to get up and fill his cup again. Rose stepped back quickly as Aldess pushed his chair back and left his station. She bit her lip anxiously and leaned into the station, her hands hovering over the keys. A few words and she could get the drones to do anything she wanted.

Liz held firmly to Rose's arm and glanced back at the commander who was at the far end of the stations. She was leaned over someone's shoulder looking over camera footage. Rose closed her eyes tightly as she tried to think of the perfect command that would end everything. One sentence that could end it all. She opened her eyes and stared at the blinking curser. Aldess was beginning to make his way back with a full steaming cup of liquid. He walked slowly so as not to spill a drop. Suddenly, Rose grinned and began to type furiously. She hit the enter key and made to turn swiftly.

It was a collision. Aldess and his hot beverage collided with Rose's invisible form clumsily. The liquid spilled onto Rose exposing her. Shocked gasps and squeals filled the room and alerted the Empress's attention. Her head shot up like a gopher form the ground.

"What's all this?!" Aldess stuttered confused.

"Your Grace!" Another voice squealed. "The drones! They're… they're exploding!" The commander turned her head back to the screen and witnessed as one by one the drones self-destructed.

"It's the human!" She hissed loudly. "She's cloaked!" Before she could get around him, Aldess thrust his arms forward and gripped onto whatever he could. The person sitting at the station next to his wheeled her chair over to try to reverse the orders. Her chair collided with Liz's thigh, surprising the android and causing her to reveal them both. The room filled with gasps again. "SEIZE THEM!" The Empress hollered. Several drones poured into the room and pushed Aldess out of the way. They grabbed hold of Rose tightly and separated her from Liz.

"No!" Liz shouted as she fought against the metal men. With one arm she tossed off one of the drones that held her and she prepared to toss another. A third drone tackled her from behind and began to dig furiously at her neck. Rose watched in horror as the drone snapped several wires apart and Liz crumbled to the ground like a rag doll.

"What have you done?!" Rose shrieked. "Liz!"

"Take them to the basement." The Empress stated in a much cooler tone. All eyes were now on her. Rose's filled with venom and anger. The drones aggressively pulled her out of the room, one picked up the crumbled android and tossed it over its shoulder.

Aldess was shaking from the adrenaline of the moment. He glanced down at his empty mug and shakily set it on the table. There would be no need for that now. He slumped down into his chair, his station neighbour had already taken care of reversing the orders but significant damage had been done to their drone army. At least half were taken out. He stared blankly at the screen and wondered what sort of punishment he would get.

The Empress had left the scene just as Rose and Liz were dragged away. She floated down an empty hallway towards her thrown room but stopped midway to pull out a device. It was small and metal. She glanced out over the war-torn planet's landscape and smiled, however subtle it appeared to be on a face so void. Her long slender thumb pressed a small button on the device, then she held it to her ear.

"It's me." She said quietly. "I understand that it has been a long time… but we found them at last. Time to collect…" She paused and ran her fingers along the glass in front of her thoughtfully. "And of course, the rest of the deal?" Another pause. "Excellent…" She pulled the small alien cellphone from her face and clicked the button on it once again, then she drifted off to her thrown room as if nothing had transpired.

\----

It had been at least a full day, Rose was sure of it. She sat alone in a tiny room with a single cot in the corner. Her wrists shackled together. In the other corner sat the slumped corpse of her best mate. She stared at it the entire time, unable to fully comprehend what she was looking at. Liz had never gotten to see Earth… she died because Rose had slipped up. A faint buzz in the back of her mind told her The Doctor could fix her, but The Doctor was locked up too. What must have been going through his mind? Did he still expect Rose and Liz to come and get him? Had he already escaped and just couldn't find her? Rose pulled her knees into her chest and sank her chin down onto them. Her eyes still locked on Liz. She felt like a complete disappointment to herself, all those years training and experience and she was still capable of messing it all up.

A rattling at the door caught her attention. Her eyes lazily moved from Liz to the jiggling handle. Then suddenly there was a buzzing, a familiar buzzing like a sonic screwdriver unlocking the door. Rose's head popped up eagerly. The Doctor found her! He was coming to save them! She swung her legs off the bed. When the door burst open she was immediately crestfallen. She pushed herself back in a panic until her spine made contact with the cold metal wall. It wasn't The Doctor at all. It was the cloaked figure from the market.

"S-stay back." Rose attempted to sound threatening but her mouth betrayed her. "I knew it. You were behind this all along. That's why they wanted us captured, wasn't it?" The cloaked figure entered the room silently and softly pushed the door so it was almost closed again. "Well? What do you want from us?"

"You're on the right track." The voice came as the cloaked figure loomed over her menacingly. "But it's not me that wanted you captured… in fact, I'm not even supposed to be here." Rose quirked an eyebrow curiously. "If not for you getting yourself captured-" She frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean? Who are you?" She leaned forward in an attempt to try to peek under the hood but the figure stepped back.

"It doesn't matter who I am. Only that I am here to rescue you." He said calmly.

"How can I trust that you're really here to help if you don't show me your face?" There was silence. "Go on then," Rose added forcefully. "Or get out." The cloaked figure seemed to be weighing out the situation quietly. His hand raised, then dropped, then raised again. With a final sigh, he pulled the cloak back.

Rose had expected to be shocked by some great reveal, instead, she was underwhelmed.

She had no idea who he was. Just a random young man, maybe in his twenties. He had short, dark brown hair and wore it similar to the way The Doctor would in his next regeneration. His eyes were heavily lashed for a male, and they were a stunning shade of blue. He had defined cheekbones, a little button nose, and a trace of laugh lines that suggested he did a great deal of grinning. If not for the age gap Rose may have been attracted, but there was a quality to him that instantly felt… innocent and child-like. It was not at all what she'd expected this mysterious menacing figure to look like. He stared at her anxiously, awaiting some form of response.

"Am I supposed to know who you are?" Rose said in an almost bored tone. The young man looked shocked, maybe even a little hurt, but it quickly faded away.

"No, I suppose not…" He said quietly. Rose nodded. He crouched down and began to work at the shackles on her wrists. "Jeopardy friendly, you are." He commented as the mechanism clicked and the cuffs snapped open. Rose frowned as her eyes fell onto the watch the young man wore on his wrist, it looked so familiar… her eyes shot up to meet his suddenly full of realization.

"Doctor?" She asked. The young man looked up at her and gave a beautifully charming grin.

"I'm afraid not." He answered, causing Rose to become thoroughly confused. "Big shoes to fill…" He stood up and glanced over at Liz. He tutted and shook his head, then crouched by her and took a look behind her neck.

"Can you fix her?" Rose asked quietly. The young man looked back and winked.

"Sure." He turned back towards her neck and pulled something out of his cloak. He held it in his hand like a tool, a blue light came from the end and it emitted a strange buzzing sound. It didn't look like The Doctor's sonic, but she knew a sonic screwdriver when she saw one.

"You are The Doctor!" Rose gasped pointing at the screwdriver. "Why are you lying? Is it because you're already here? I'm not supposed to know?" She looked back at the door in case the other Doctor was to walk in at any moment. The buzzing stopped suddenly and the device was back in his cloak.

"I promise, I'm not The Doctor." Rose furrowed her brow and made to assault the young man with questions, but he swiftly cut her off. "I can't explain it right now. You know how time travel works… being here is already a risk." Rose closed her mouth and pursed her lips. "Do you still have the tiny chest I gave you at the market?" Her eyes went wide.

"It's in the TARDIS. Was this the time-?"

"No," He replied. "Not yet, but soon." Rose pursed her lips anxiously.

"Before you go, I've got to know something-" The stranger crossed the room and sat next to Rose on the cot.

"Am I…" Rose began nervously and looked away. "Am I going to die?"

"You know I can't tell you that." He replied. "What I can tell you…" He took her hand in his own. "-is that you need to be brave. What's coming could end the universe itself, you need to be prepared to do what scares you most." Rose furrowed her brow in confusion, but the young man didn't clarify. Instead, he released her hand and stood to exit the room. He glanced down at Liz and smiled. "She'll wake up in a minute or two, her system is rebooting. She'll be back to normal, then the two of you can make your escape." He glanced quickly out the door then back at Rose. "The Doctor is in the next room, again I must ask you not to tell him about this meeting." Rose nodded. It felt weird to know The Doctor had been so close the whole time and she'd never known.

"What about the drones? We came to save these people?" Rose asked, raising herself up from her bed. The young man grinned.

"I'll handle that. You just get out of here." He slipped out the open door like a shadow.

"Wait-" Rose hissed and pulled open the door slightly. The young man looked over his cloaked shoulder, ready to pull his hood up. "Please, if you're not The Doctor, what is your name?" He pursed his lips and stared at her for a moment. His eyes looked almost a little sad.

"Jude."

The turned and pulled his hood up, then walked down the hallway into obscurity. Rose turned back into the room and stared at the wall for a moment. Jude… like the song… She frowned and crossed her arms. It had to be The Doctor, everything suggested it was him, he just couldn't let her know. Liz stirred beneath her and broke her from her thoughts completely. Rose sunk down to a crouch and aided her friend into a sitting position.

"What happened?" Liz asked as she blinked her eyes a few times.

"I'm not exactly sure…" Rose murmured.

\----

The Doctor was lying comfortably on his back with his eyes closed lightly. His hands propped behind his head, his ankle propped onto his knee. He tapped his toe softly to some rhythm that was likely stuck in his head. It looked as though he hadn't moved a muscle since Rose had seen him on the screen, and truthfully he hadn't. He knew he was being monitored, he wanted to waste their time and drive them crazy wondering what he was up to. A soft tap came at the door causing The Doctor to crack an I open and give it a glance.

"Yes?" He called out casually.

"That you in there, Doctor?" Rose's muffled voice came from the other side of the door. The Doctor sighed and rolled off of the cot. He took the two steps necessary to cross the floor, then he opened the door as if greeting guests. Rose looked up in shock, her ear had been pressed against the door. "You could have just walked out at any point?" She asked him angrily. "You have any idea how long you've been in there?"

"Not really." The Doctor shrugged. "Did you stop the signal?" Rose suddenly looked a bit anxious.

"Yeah, of course."

"You did?" Liz asked looking at her curiously. The Doctor looked between the two curiously, he crossed his arms and leaned his weight onto one leg. "When did you do that?" Rose cranked her head to the side and shot her a look.

"After you got knocked out." She stated. The Doctor raised his eyebrows and looked back to Liz for a reaction. Liz stared blankly at Rose trying to figure out what her face was trying to say.

"O-oh, yes." She said at last, casting a nervous glance at the skeptical Doctor. "The drones attacked me and shut down my systems." She nodded factually. The Doctor looked shocked, he uncrossed his arms and swung them behind his back like a school teacher and looked at Rose expectantly for further explanation.

"You were able to get her operational again?" He asked curiously. Rose tried to look as confident as possible.

"Flick of a switch, really." Rose shrugged. The Doctor pursed his lips and held his chin up as if he were about to bust them both for their lies, but instead, he just let it go. He brushed past them swiftly and into the hallway. Rose gulped and watched him walk away, she knew he had to know she was keeping something… why didn't he ask?

"How did you fix me?" Liz whispered curiously.

"SHH!" Rose swatted her lightly and held a finger to her lips.

At last on the main floor, The Doctor used his sonic to open the large entrance. They waited as the slow door went higher and higher, revealing the depressing outdoors. Just as The Doctor stepped out, a massive explosion rattled everything around them to the core. All three of them struggled for balance for a split second. With a bolt, The Doctor charged forward, then he turned and craned his head back to see the tower. Rose and Liz followed. High above, the tower smoldered and debris began to fall. The Doctor and Liz immediately turned their attention to Rose who was still gaping up at the display in disbelief. Then suddenly a massive antenna struck into the ground like a lawn dart, causing all three to jump.

"Blimey!" Rose exclaimed as she took in the massive pole. The Doctor looked at her skeptically, and she looked back. "Told you I took care of it, didn't I?" She raised her chin proudly. "Torchwood." She exclaimed, then she walked away from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from "Mercy" by Muse.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Boogeyman Cometh

Over the span of several weeks, it had been a whirlwind of exciting times. The Doctor made good on his promise to take Liz to Earth. In fact, having warmed up to her immensely after the last adventure, he decided before he dropped her there to stay, he would take her through a sort of highlight reel of Earth's history between the times she had spent her existence studying. It was an incredibly sweet gesture, but also an extremely fun time. They'd done everything from mall crawling in the nineties to experience the celebration of the first world war's end. It had been amazing, but it was all coming to an end… with the Tylers. Present-day. The Doctor had been dreading it.

Rose took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. She knew her mother would be home, she always was. The idea of facing her mother was something she didn't really want to deal with, especially the part where she had to tell her she was traveling again. Plus, the current version of The Doctor had not reached the level of friendship his next form would. He still had quite a rivalry with her, and it troubled Rose greatly to think what might go down. She decided to go in ahead, try to make it a light shock. She pressed her finger into the doorbell and waited a few moments.

"It's alright, I've got it!" She could hear Jackie shouting from the other side of the door."Mind you, not sure what we have hired help for if- ROSE!" Jackie threw her hands to her face in excitement, then dropped them as if remembering to be annoyed with her.

"Hi, Mum." Rose offered awkwardly.

"So there you are," Jackie held her hands to her hips. "Never calls, never texts… I haven't heard from you in over a year. Your dad tried to uplift everyone's spirits by saying you'd unplugged to find yourself or some such none-sense." Jackie turned and headed into the house, Rose following behind. "I know you better than that. I was worried sick thinking you'd finally slipped off the deep end-" She spun around and gave Rose another look over, this one with more concern. "You look alright…"

"I am," Rose assured her. "Better than ever actually."

"Oh?" Her mother raised a scandalized hand to her chest. "So you drop off the face of the Earth for two years, not a word to your family, but you're better than ever? Isn't that just." Jackie thrust her arm backward in a wild gesture. "You're brother's been in shambles since you left, he thought you'd died!" Rose looked around Jackie to see her brother with a headset on, frantically mashing controller buttons and cursing at the telly. "Inconsolable," Jackie added without turning to look at him. Rose rolled her eyes and pushed past her mother. She pulled one side of the headset off her brother's ear and leaned in.

"Alright, Tony?" The youth spun around swiftly, putting his game on pause.

"Rose, you're back!" He smiled as he pulled his headset off. "Mum said you'd gone crackers." The siblings hugged tightly.

"She's crackers," Rose mumbled into his ear causing a laugh from the lad. "Anyway, how are you?" Jackie sighed and crossed her arms. She glanced back at the door noticing it was still ajar. With an annoyed groan, she made her way over to shut it.

"Still doesn't know how to shut a door behind her," She winged as she pushed the door lightly. Suddenly a hand smacked against the surface of the door, stopping it from shutting completely. With a jump, Jackie pulled it back. Her hand instantly flung to her chest, and her eyes grew wide. The Doctor stood casually in the door frame with a sick grin on his face.

"Hello." He waved cheekily. Jackie took a step back, then collapsed on the floor. The Doctor just stared at her in amusement. Liz pushed past him to help the poor women off the floor.

"Doctor, what have you done?" Rose asked angrily coming to her mother's aid.

"I only said Hello." The Doctor responded innocently. "Didn't know it was a conversation killer." Rose shot him a dirty look, but he ignored it to step past her into the house. Toby gaped at him from the other side of the couch, he offered the lad a cheery smile and a wave.

"Y-you're The Doctor?" He asked shyly. "The one Rose told me stories about?"

"I suppose I must be." The Doctor replied as he began to study the room. Jackie began to come round, Rose and Liz helped get her on her feet again.

"Oh my, what a spell." She said as she attempted to blink away the stars in her eyes.

"Are you alright, Mrs. Tyler?" Liz asked politely, causing the strangest look from Jackie.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"This is my mate, Liz. I was hoping to set her up with a job at the company." Rose answered as the two friends guided her mother to the couch.

"Oh, I see then. Only coming back because you want favours." Rose bit her lip. She couldn't deny the facts, she really hadn't planned on coming back and now felt guilty about it. "Never mind," Jackie sighed. "At least you're home now, I'll have to cook put on a nice roast."

"We won't be staying for supper." The Doctor responded from the bookshelf. Jackie, forgetting that she ever saw him in the first place screamed. The Doctor spun around to look her over. "She's gone hysterical."

"No," Rose frowned. "She just hasn't seen you like that in a long time." The Doctor nodded then turned to the bookshelf again. "It's alright, Mum. It's The Doctor, you know The Doctor."

"What happened to the silly one?" She asked turning to Rose with great concern. "The one in the little suit? I liked him much better, not this grumpy old git here." She tossed her hand out to show she meant The Doctor in front of her. Rose bit her lip.

"They're the same person," Rose explained. "It's just he hasn't regenerated yet… it's hard to explain."

"Basically, I'm back and I'm better than ever." The Doctor snapped closed a book and offered Jackie a wink. It made her fluster with annoyance.

"Where's Dad? I'd really like to talk to him about Liz." Rose said hoping to change the conversation.

"He'll be home for supper, so you might as well wait." Jackie was looking directly at The Doctor. He frowned and Jackie stuck her tongue out at him.

"Rose, could I have a word?" Tony asked. He was standing over by the staircase. Rose looked over her should at him and smiled.

"Sure."

He'd taken her up to his room. It was done up exactly as you'd expect a twelve-year-old's room to be. Posters of heroes and bands on the walls, a few action figures he wasn't ready to part with, several books sprawled onto the floor and dirty laundry everywhere. Standing at the door Tony could hear Jackie giving The Doctor a hard time, he slowly closed it so they could be in silence. Rose studied him, he'd aged quite a bit in the last two years. She was a little annoyed that The Doctor had brought her back that late, but it didn't really make much difference. She was never around before then anyway. Earlier in his life, she had lived with them, and the bond with her brother was strong, now she couldn't say she knew his favourite food anymore. She adored him, that hadn't changed. There was guilt in her heart for not sparing him a second that when she left.

Tony looked a little rough. Maybe her mother had been right, maybe her disappearance really did have a big impact on him. The guilt worsened. Looking at him closer she could see bags under his eyes and a general slouchy look of defeat. He breezed past her and collapsed on the edge of his bed with a loud sigh.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"Your Doctor," Tony began, not really looking at Rose. "All those stories you told me, they were true right?" He glanced up at her seriously and she nodded slowly. She used to tell him about her adventures with The Doctor as bedtime stories, perhaps that was a mistake. "So he's fought monsters and aliens tons of times?"

"Where are you going with this?" Rose asked, squinting at him a little. Tony sighed and tossed the rubber ball he'd been holding onto the floor. It bounced a few times then rolled to a stop in a pile of socks.

"I couldn't tell Mum or Dad but… with your line of work, I figured you'd understand." Rose eagerly stepped forward and sat on the bed next to him.

"You can tell me anything, you know that."

"It's just…" He glanced over at his bedroom closet anxiously. "You can't laugh." Rose nodded, her face conveying her seriousness. "Okay… well… For the past few weeks, a monster has been coming out of my closet every night." Rose pursed her lips, determined to hear him out before dismissing his fears as a common childhood complaint. She nodded and encouraged him to continue. "At first it was just the knob, rattling away, like someone trying to get in… When the door did eventually open there was a blinding light." His eyes went wide as he stared at the door, it was as if he was seeing it right then. "Every night it's the same. The rattling, the light, and then…" He took a deep breath. "He comes out."

"Who?" Rose asked, leaning in. Tony shook his head, unblinking eyes still focused on the door. "What does he do? When he enters the room, what does he do?"

"He just… stands there." Tony finally ripped his eyes from the door and locked onto Rose's. "He stands over me and it feels like I can't move or speak or anything. He stands there, and then he leaves." Rose leaned forward, resting her elbows onto her knees and bringing both hands to her mouth pensively.

"Have you heard of anything like this before?" He asked anxiously. Rose blew a burst of air past her lips and leaned back into an upright position.

"I mean…" She clicked her tongue a couple of times. "You're sure it isn't a bad dream?" Tony rolled his eyes and gave a groan. He threw himself backward onto his pillows. "I'm not saying I don't believe you but- monsters coming out of the closet? Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?"

"That's what I expected Mum and Dad to say." Tony covered his face with his hands and Rose instantly felt guilty.

"I just want to make sure before I get The Doctor all excited and involved." She got up and walked over to the closet to inspect it herself. Upon opening the door there was nothing shocking about it, aside from the fact that a twelve-year-old boy had a spacious walk-in closet bigger than the one in her flat. She tutted and closed the door. Looking over her shoulder she could see Tony watching her. She spun around and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, it's obvious something's wrong." She sighed. "Judging by those bags you haven't been sleeping…" Tony nodded and looked down at his feet. "I'll have The Doctor come up and take a look, alright?" He looked up at her and smiled.

Upon coming down the stairs to retrieve The Doctor, he was no longer in the room. Rose looked around and found her mother in the kitchen with Liz. The poor android was balancing on a stool over a hot cup of coffee pretending to have any interest in whatever her mother was going on about. Or perhaps she did have an interest. Before they noticed her, Rose spun around and made her way to the front door. Peeking out the window, she could see The Doctor standing in the yard inspecting a lawn ornament. Rose pulled the door open quietly and made her way over to him.

"What are you up to?" Rose asked as she neared The Doctor's side. He gave her a glance, then back down at the small stone statue. It was in the shape of a greek woman with a jug, The Doctor tipped it over with his foot.

"Just making sure." He mumbled. Rose frowned at him and bent over to readjust the statue.

"Or you're looking for an excuse… I guess things didn't go over so well with Mum?" She asked as she stood up again. The Doctor shrugged. "Did you even try?" He didn't answer. "Even for me, you couldn't try?" He looked up at her.

"Mothers-in-law are a stereotype for a reason." He stated. "I don't need to be friends with your mother." Rose crossed her arms angrily and The Doctor cleared his throat. "She's not pleased that you're traveling again."

"I expected that." Rose sighed. "She just wants to be sure I'm safe."

"She's a good mother." The Doctor stated staring down at the statue again. It made Rose smile a little, but the smile quickly faded with his next statement. "I made no mention of our… situation." He said the last word awkwardly.

"What situation is that?" Rose baited. The Doctor looked up at her with a frown, she refused to let it slide.

"This." The Doctor attempted to clarify by pointing his finger between them and moving it back and forth swiftly.

"This what?" Rose held back a smile.

"Now Rose, you know I don't like to be teased." The Doctor warned as he glanced up into the full leafy trees. It was a beautiful summer day. Rose sighed.

"Our relationship, Doctor," Rose said it for him. "You want to spend eternity together, snogging and whatever else but you can't put a name to it?" He just shrugged. "Well, whatever." Rose shrugged too. "I never planned to say anything." He looked up at her, his face a little hurt. "What?" She studied his eyes carefully. "You want me to?"

"I just thought you might-" The Doctor began but he was cut off suddenly by a shout from the kitchen window.

"Oi!" Jackie called to them. "Don't even think about swanning off, you two. The roast is on and I've told your dad!" Rose looked at The Doctor and smiled.

"Listen," Rose linked her arm in his and leaned in. "My brother Tony has some odd complaints." The Doctor quirked his eyebrow. "He says a monster's been coming out of his closet every night for the past few weeks and scaring him half to death. He hasn't been sleeping. I know it might be nothing but… I told him you'd go up and take a look." The Doctor glanced up to the second-floor window where he could just barely see Tony watching him. He looked back to Rose and nodded his head.

"I'll have a look."

\----

Inside Tony's closet, The Doctor was crouched low and examining the space with a more serious effort than Rose had expected. He ran a few scans, made several thoughtful noises, and stared blankly up at the ceiling then bit at his thumbnail. Rose and Tony stood at the door and watched him with great interest. They were both leaning on the frame when Jackie walked by the open bedroom door.

"Oh, what's he up to now?" She pried as she stopped and peeked into the bedroom nosily.

"Just showing The Doctor my collection," Tony answered as he leaned back from the closet door to make eye contact with her.

"Oh," Jackie groaned and stepped back out of the room. "He'd be the one to take a shine to a bunch of dirty old rocks…" Her voice trailed off as she disappeared down the hallways. The Doctor noted the box of curious rocks to his right and glanced in it briefly.

"Anything?" Rose asked. The Doctor stood up and spun around to face her.

"There is a smell…"

"Sorry," Tony shrugged shyly. "The socks."

"No," The Doctor stepped out of the closet. "Not that sort of smell." He turned and looked over the closet once more before shutting the door. Then he swiftly opened it, scanned it once more, and closed it again. He glanced over his shoulder at Rose and a smile began to spread across his face. "Think your mother will let us spend the night?" Rose shifted her weight onto one leg and crossed her arms, her face giving him a look that suggested he rethink the question.

"Hello?" A familiar voice called from downstairs.

"Oh, that'll be your dad." Shouted Jackie from another room. "Go on down and see your father, look at rocks some other time." She chided as she passed the open bedroom door once more. Rose let out a laugh and quickly took after her mother.

Peter was standing at the foot of the stairs when Rose came around the corner. Jackie was ascending to meet him and the two embraced in a welcoming kiss. It made Rose smile, she hung back to appreciate the moment a bit longer. The Doctor joined her, bringing her attention to him briefly.

"This is what it would have been like." She said quietly, referring to an old adventure that changed their relationship and Rose's mentality forever. The Doctor pursed his lips, that was one adventure he had not enjoyed, regardless of the lesson it taught Rose.

"It was what it was." He stated firmly and left it at that.

"Rose!" Pete smiled up at them. He opened his arms wide and Rose grinned. She trotted down the stairs as if she were a child again. The two connected in a sweet hug, the kind you needed after a long time away from home. "Oh, my girl," Pete said with slight strain due to the tightness of the hug. "How have you been?" Rose pulled away so they could speak face to face.

"Fine." She smiled. Pete looked up at The Doctor and gave him a curious look.

"Jackie told me you'd look different… somehow you can't really prepare yourself." He held his hand out and The Doctor took the last few steps down to be on the same level to shake it respectfully.

"Nice to meet you, lovely home." The Doctor smiled politely.

"Meet me?" Pete furrowed his brow. "Doctor, I've met you before." Rose cleared her throat anxiously.

"Long story, but basically The Doctor you met is this Doctor's future self." Pete looked at Rose, then at The Doctor, then back at Rose again.

"Blimey, this time-traveling stuff really gives the brain a workout." He said at last with an anxious laugh. The Doctor smiled and nodded his agreement.

After further awkward conversations and introductions, everyone sat down for a nice family dinner. Rose and Liz were on one side of the table while Jackie and Tony sat on the other. At the heads were Pete and The Doctor. The latter of the two was twirling his silverware numbly as he tuned in and out of the conversations going on around him. Jackie babbled on about everyone in the neighbourhood, the help they'd hired and Tony's teachers. Rose had barely gotten a word in to ask her father about Liz's job.

"Oh, well," Pete began awkwardly. "What's your experience like?"

"I can do a variety of things," Liz replied with a smile. Rose turned from her to look back at her Dad and smiled.

"Liz is a genius, Dad. Give her any task and she'll take to it."

"Liz, sweetheart, you haven't touched a bite of your supper." Jackie pointed out loudly. Everyone glanced at the full plate of food growing cold in front of her.

"Oh," Liz smiled politely. "I don't actually ingest food for sustenance. I filled my plate to fit in." The Tylers stared blankly at her. There were a few awkward seconds followed by the loud yawn of a certain bored-to-tears Time Lord.

"Where exactly did you meet?" Pete asked looking between Rose and Liz. Rose fiddled with her napkin under the table anxiously.

"Well-"

"She's an android from the future. Lifelike as they come." The Doctor stated plainly as he inspected his reflection in a spoon and picked at his teeth.

"I was getting to that," Rose grumbled. The Doctor shrugged and set down his spoon.

"So you're a robot?" Jackie asked.

"Cool!" Tony exclaimed as Liz nodded politely.

"Honestly though, no one would ever know." Rose began much to her mother's stink eye. "Aside from the not eating thing, you would never have known. Think of the things she could do for the company." Pete clasped his hands together and pressed them against his lips as he thought over the situation and the potentials that could be there. He released his hands after a few moments and held them palm up in a sort of shrug and smiled.

"Well we can't just turn her out, can we?" Liz grinned and took Rose's hand excitedly in her own.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Tyler, Mrs. Tyler… Tony." She beamed at each one respectively. "You will not regret this. I plan to be the best employee on the planet Earth."

"I believe you," Pete said as he raised his glass of wine.

"Fantastic. All settled." The Doctor clapped his hands together. Jackie shot him and irritated look that Rose reflected from her side of the table. "Any other favours?" He asked despite the daggers she threw at him. He stared her dead in the eye and pursed his lips, she knew very well he wanted to her get this over with. With a roll of her eyes, she cleared her throat.

"Actually yeah…" She began. "Was wondering if we could spend the night?"

"Certainly, sweetheart," Jackie answered immediately. "You've always got a bedroom here with us. You can stay whenever you like." Rose smiled at her warm response. "And Liz dear, there's a guest room for you till you find your feet." Liz smiled and nodded her thanks.

"And?" Rose said after another awkward silence fell over the table. Jackie didn't respond immediately. She sipped her wine as if she hadn't heard. "Mum, what about The Doctor?" They all glanced at The Doctor who was now sitting fully alert with a coy smile.

"Hello." He waved at her as if this was the first time he'd been noticed.

"He can sleep in the TARDIS, can't he?" Rose leaned back and folded her arms disapprovingly. Jackie crinkled her nose, then bit her lip and glanced at Pete. He quickly shook his head and threw his hands up in surrender, making it clear he would not be brought into such an awkward situation.

"Oh, my first family squabble!" Liz clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Tell you what," The Doctor said as he pushed his chair away from the table. "Think I'll get some air and let you ladies work it out."

"I'll join you," Pete said quickly as he pushed his own chair back. Jackie gave him a dirty look but he pretended not to notice as the two exited the house through the back kitchen door. Jackie looked back down at Rose who was still give a rather nasty eye.

"What?" Jackie shrugged.

"You know what," Rose replied. Liz pursed her lips in an effort to disguise her enjoyment, while a less than enthused Tony popped his headphones into his ears in an effort to detach himself from the situation.

"He's got no respect for me, that one," Jackie stated. "All arrogant and such. Thinks he's so clever."

"He hasn't gotten a chance to know you yet." Rose sighed. "This version of him hasn't regenerated yet, he hasn't had all those adventures with you. One of the last things he recalls is a pretty nasty slap you dealt him."

"That was years ago." Jackie groaned as she made to take a sip from her wine glass. Rose just stared at her with that same disapproving look. Jackie groaned and set down her glass. "The TARDIS is just outside. I never let Mickey stay at the flat neither and you know it." It was Rose's turn to groan.

"I'm not nineteen anymore, Mum."

"Right, you can do whatever you want out there in all of time and space but in my house, under my roof: you do as your mother tells you." Rose sunk into her chair angrily knowing she'd been defeated. Liz looked excitedly between the duo before deciding the scene was finished and felt the need to clap for the terrific performance.

Outside, The Doctor and Pete were standing in the garden making small chat. The kind of thing The Doctor didn't really do well. Pete asked him several questions, The Doctor would answer them factually, and they went on like that for a little bit. With a loud sigh, Pete finished off the last of his wine glass and set it on a nearby planter.

"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have this beautiful life, you know." The Doctor didn't respond. "Or rather, you in the future… I suppose…" Pete's brow furrowed as he tried to figure that one out, but quickly decided it was best not to overthink it. "Nice to have her back again, anyway." There was a long silence. "Will you be off again soon?"

"Tomorrow likely." The Doctor confirmed. "Once Liz is set up." Pete nodded, and another awkward silence fell on them.

"Sorry, this may sound strange but… Are you two…?"

"What, me and Liz?" The Doctor looked back at him. "No. Another one of Rose's. She collects strays."

"I meant you and Rose." Pete clarified.

"Oh." The Doctor looked up at the waning moon awkwardly.

"I mean, it's alright if you are because… Well, I know how it was anyway…" Pete was floundering, looking for the right words to say. "I just… from down here…" He bit his lip and looked anxiously back at his empty wine glass, wishing it were full. He sighed. "I'm sure when you're on exciting adventures, saving worlds it's hard to think about the little people in the slow lane. I've been here, I've seen it all." The Doctor was giving Pete his full attention. "She loved you. Losing you nearly killed her… I watch her deteriorate like an old vegetable. Staring at the wall for hours on end, hand poised over that ancient phone like a lifeline." Pete took a deep breath and locked eyes with The Doctor intensely. "I'm not sure how you came back… Frankly, I'm glad you did. Seeing her in there, it's like a new person. Only you could do that to her, I guess. Lord knows we tried… so please, I'm begging you, don't do her like that again." They just stared at each other in silence. The Doctor was the first to tear his eyes away. They fell to the ground shamefully as he wanted to promise he wouldn't, but knowing whenever he made a promise he usually broke it, he decided to remain silent.

\----

The bedroom that Jackie referred to as being Rose's held nothing, in particular, to signify it as such. A few decretive pictures and some items that Rose had left behind from her brief time living with them were all that remained. The bed as massive and luxurious, the sort of bed she dreamed of having all her life. Four post canopy bed, the bed of a princess. Rose sat on the edge of that bed with Liz and went over the night's excitement. Like two girls having a sleepover, they giggled away about the awkwardness of the meal and the aloofness of The Doctor.

A soft knock came at the door and Jackie's face soon appeared in the crack. Rose smiled at her, realizing this was her mother's way of waving a white flag. Liz took it as her social queue to leave the room and let the mother-daughter moment happen. Even though she very much would have like to watch another movie moment scene unfold. She bid Jackie goodnight and snuck away to the guest room.

"Nice girl," Jackie remarked softly. "Robot, android, whatever." Rose nodded her agreement. "Look, I know you're cross with me and I'm sorry. Old habits die hard." She sat on the edge of the bed and turned her body towards Rose.

"I get it." Rose shrugged as she fiddled with her comforter.

"So, he's back again." Jackie sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. "I have to confess… it is good to see you, back as your old self again." Rose smiled. "but I do worry, you know I worry." Rose reached and clasped onto her mother's hand lightly.

"It'll be different this time, Mum." Jackie pursed her lips and avoided meeting Rose's eyes. She knew The Doctor, she knew the life he led, there was no future in that. It broke her heart to see her daughter throwing her life away… but without him, she saw that the damage was far worse.

"Well, he better lose the attitude is all I'm saying." The two laughed lightly and squeezed each other's hand with affection. With a sigh, Rose stood up and opened her door to inspect it for some sort of sleepwear that she might have left behind. She slid off her jumper casually and tossed it onto the bed. Jackie crinkled her nose as she looked over her daughter with the scrutiny only a mother could get away with. "What do you eat in that space ship all day?" She asked suddenly.

"What?" Rose looked back over her shoulder as she pulled out a silk pair of pajamas that were hanging in the back.

"You look… heavier." Jackie stated plainly. Rose immediately covered herself with the hanging pair of pajamas and frowned.

"A woman goes through a lot of changes at thirty, you should know." She spat anxiously. Then she walked into the massive closet and slammed the door. "Leave it to you to bring up the exact thing I've been self-conscious about." She yelled through the door. Jackie pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows as she nodded.

"What are mothers for?" She remarked as she stared at the discarded jumper thoughtfully. "Can I get you a snack or anything, love?"

"What?" Came the muffled response.

"Little late-night nibble? Little treat, little something?" Rose opened the door slowly, wearing the pajamas and giving her mother a curious look. "Just asking, it's not often my daughter comes home anymore." Rose stepped out of the closet and shut the door softly.

"Now that you mention it, I do have a craving for something salty…" Rose tapped at her lips thoughtfully. "No- crunchy." She clarified. "Hmm, actually…A cucumber! That's it."

"Right," Jackie stood up slowly as she looked her daughter over once more. "Think there's one in the fridge. Be right back…"

A little while later, Rose was munching on her cucumber quietly as she flipped through one of her mother's magazines. Jackie had already said her goodnights, while Rose had opted to stay up a little while longer. She flipped through the magazine lazily as a faint tapping sound came at the window. She glanced up, but nothing was there. Then another tap came, deciding that couldn't be a coincidence, Rose slipped off of her bed and made her way the window. Down below, standing in the garden, was The Doctor holding the familiar cassette player over his head. Rose grinned and pulled up the window. Her grin quickly faded as the old familiar tune of 'Having a Good Time' played on.

"Cheek." She frowned. The Doctor laughed and shut the tape off.

"It was all I had." He shrugged.

"That could have been a really sweet moment too." Rose sighed and leaned on the window sill.

"It was." The Doctor corrected her as he made his way over to the trellis that reached up to Rose's window. He'd begun climbing as another window further down slid open swiftly.

"Oh, Doctor!" Liz's voice came out as a squeaky whisper. "This is just like that movie with-!"

"Shhh!" Both The Doctor and Rose hushed her causing the excited android to slip back into her room. Just as The Doctor was reaching the top Rose reached down and helped him into the window. He dusted himself off as he came through, and was greeted with a very affectionate kiss from Rose.

"What was that for?" He asked quietly. "Not that I minded."

"That was just really cute." Rose shrugged. "Like high school." The Doctor looked shocked.

"Don't think Rickey the idiot was climbing up the outside of the estate." Rose laughed and gave him a soft smack in the arm.

"Mickey." She corrected.

"If you keep bringing up your ex-boyfriends, I may not let you have your way with me." The Doctor teased as he glanced over at Rose's bed.

"Oh, that's enough." Rose rolled her eyes. "There's not time for that now. Tony? Remember?"

"Oh right." The Doctor said with a nod.

The two snuck carefully out of her bedroom and made their way quietly down the hall to where Tony's door was. It was open just a crack and Rose could see he was lying awake in his bed. His eyes fixated on the closet door. Rose and The Doctor exchanged quick looks before opting to sit on the floor just outside the door. If anything were to happen they could spring into action and catch it, but if they were to sit inside it was likely nothing would happen. That was The Doctor's theory anyway. A watched pot never boils and all that. A brief look at his watch told them it was nearing midnight, Tony had told them the monster comes at the witching hour. It would be another two hours before they would know or not.

Down the hall in the master bedroom, Jackie paced anxiously. She squirted a dime-size amount of lotion onto her hands and rubbed them together as she made circles on the carpet floor. Pete, pretending not to notice, was reading on his iPad quite content.

"She's hiding something, she is," Jackie stated at last.

"Who?" Pete said, not really paying attention.

"Our daughter? Rose?"

"Oh, right," He breathed. "What is she hiding?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure… I have my suspicions but…" She raised up a hand and bit at her fingernails. Pete sighed and set down the iPad next to him on the bed.

"What are you on about?"

"I'm telling you that girl is hiding something." Pete rolled his eyes and continued to scroll through the virtual feed on his iPad

\----

Tony's room was quiet. A dim nightlight gave off just enough light to see everything in the room clearly. He'd gone about plugging it in after the first week of his experiences. Part of him was ashamed, being a twelve-year-old with a night light, but the other part of him was certain it helped with his survival. He was lying wide awake, his eyes shifting between the closet door and the alarm clock. Three minutes till the witching hour. He gulped and kept his eyes fixed on the door handle. Despite being sure that Rose and her strange alien boyfriend were just on the other side of the door, he was still racked with fear. It was as if, no matter how brave you felt leading up to it, or how much you tried to talk yourself out of the fear, it came for you anyway.

The handle began to rattle. A slow squeak and turn at first that immediately caught the boy's attention. It quickly grew into a full-on frantic rattle, like someone felt desperately trapped inside. Tony sat up and pushed himself back against the headboard. He gulped and glanced at his bedroom door, he didn't want to alert them yet, not till they could see it. Maybe even kill it.

Outside the door, Rose had fallen asleep. Her head on The Doctor's shoulder. The Doctor was fixated on some small device he'd had stored away in his jacket, not really paying attention to the rattling sound going on in the room behind him. He had a serious knack for tuning things out, even when he was meant to be listening for them.

Tony bit his lip and pushed his back hard against the headboard as the handle stopped it's rattling quit suddenly. Then, a bright and blinding light began to seep out of the seems of the door. The light spread across the floor and ceiling in angry jagged shapes. The door began to open, ever so slowly. The bright light creating a line along young Tony's horrified face. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated as the light reflected off of them. Once the door was fully open, a figure appeared. Just as Tony had described, it wore a brown cloak made of what appeared to be burlap.

"Tony." It hissed in a raspy voice that sounded like all the air was being sucked into its mouth. It stepped out of the closet, it's mouth the only thing he could see for it was grinning at him with jagged and wretched teeth.

"Rose!" Tony cried out. The Doctor jumped with a start, woke Rose and ungracefully knocked her off of him. He jumped to his feet and pushed the door open. Rose rolled over and gasped as the figure in the brown cloak turned to look at them. The Doctor had a look on his face of both shock and amusement as if impressed by the situation.

"Fantastic!" He shouted.

"Tony!" Rose ignored The Doctor and jumped up from the floor. The figure snarled and turned to make for the closet again. "It's rude to spook and run-" Rose shouted as she lurched forward and chased the figure into the closet.

"Rose! No!" The Doctor shouted as he ran after her, but it was too late. Just as Rose had stepped into the closet the light vanished, and so too did the people inside. Liz came barreling down the hallway and burst into Tony's room.

"What's happened?" She cried. "Where's Rose?" The Doctor, with his hands, gripped the door frame of the closet, stared in horror at the empty space. He couldn't answer her. Instead, he turned and ran out of the room. "What's happened?!" Liz asked again, a little more frantically, and this time directed at Tony.

"Th-the monster! It took Rose!" He said, shaking visibly.

"What's going on? What's all this noise?" Jackie shouted as she came down the hallway in her dressing gown. The Doctor was already running down the stairs. "What are you doing in here?" She shouted after him but he was already gone. Liz turned to face the angry parent but felt instantly small under her furious gaze.

"Well, you see," She began awkwardly.

"Rose and The Doctor were trying to save me from the monster in my closet!" Tony blurted out, suddenly standing on his bed, filled with adrenaline. Jackie looked shocked, her eyes moved back to Liz.

"Yes," Liz confirmed. "I believe The Doctor is… rescuing her?" Her lack of confidence made Jackie cross her arms angrily.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Outside the dawn is breaking,  
But inside, in the dark, I'm aching.

Rose was falling.

She had quite literally become Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole and descending into the madness of a dark and colourful nightmare. At first, the fall was fast, as you'd expect, but then it became a slow leisurely ride. Having long since gotten over the initial fright of the fall, Rose sighed and crossed her arms.

"Bit much, really." She grumbled as she slowly passed between several floating pathways and doors. For as far as she could see, this space was a never-ending landscape of floating doors with strange pathways leading to them as if they were attached by bits of string. Biting her lip she attempted to swim through the air to one of the paths. She was able to grab onto it and pull herself up. She climbed to her feet and dusted herself as if it were just another day for her. "Now," She breathed as she looked around again. "Where'd that spooky character get off to?" She craned her head back and tried to see where she'd fallen from. It seemed to go on forever. "Hellooo?" Her voice didn't echo like she thought it might, instead it fell flat as if she were in a tiny room… or a closet.

"You shouldn't have followed me." The raspy voice of the cloaked figure breathed in each word. Rose spun around to find him sitting on top of the nearest door.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "Why are you scaring my little brother?"

"I scare all children," He replied cryptically. "It's my job." Rose crinkled her nose. "As for my name… I have so many…" His appearance faded, then reappeared just behind Rose on the path. "but I think the one you Earthlings gave me was Boogeyman." Rose couldn't help but snort out a laugh.

"The Boogeyman is it, really?" She laughed again. "That's what you're going to go with?"

"It is the name Earth children have been calling me for centuries," The Boogeyman didn't seem amused with her jovial nature. "I have struck terror into the hearts of the youth all over this planet, and you dare to laugh at me?" His voice boomed loudly and rang through Rose's ears.

"Yeah, right, well… if you're truly The Boogeyman and you've been spooking kids from all over for centuries, how come I never heard of you before?" The figure shrugged.

"You humans are such primitive creatures." It responded. "Once you fully mature, strange memories are brushed off as dreams." Rose squinted at him and crossed her arms. It was a lame explanation, but The Doctor had said something similar not too long ago regarding little Jacob. Perhaps she had been scared by the Boogeyman as a child, or perhaps he was exclusive to this universe.

"Think people would remember a dodgy character in a cloak popping out of their closets." The Boogeyman laughed, but there was no mirth in it.

"Do you remember this?" He asked as he pulled his hood off to reveal a massive hideous face. His eyes were like serpents eyes, his nose was like a pig and his mouth like a shark. Rose gasped and took a step back, nearly tumbling off the path. Fear gripped her heart as she teetered on the edge. A strange feeling began to wash over her like all the air was being sucked out of her lungs. She forced herself forward and gasped for breath, then suddenly the feeling went away.

"What did-?" Rose wheezed. "-you do to me?" She gripped at her lungs.

"Delicious." The Boogeyman stated casually. "Your terror is but a treat before the feast that is to come."

"So that's why you scare the kids?" She said growing angry. "You feed off their fear."

"Exactly." He disappeared again and reappeared on a path high above. "Just as humans gorge themselves on organic matter and proteins, I too must gorge myself on the fears of others."

"That's mental." Rose blurted without thinking. The Boogeyman swirled his cape and turned towards one of the doors. "Wait- what about me? You can't just-!" But before she could finish her sentence, he disappeared through the door. "Bullocks!" Rose shouted angrily. She glanced back at the door the Boogeyman had been sitting on previously and decided to give it a try. Locked. She groaned and kicked the door angrily.

\----

Outside, The Doctor was running like a madman through the night. Not towards the TARDIS, like one might expect, but down the street. He looked frantically at the different houses in the neighbourhood, each as big and fancy as The Tyler's in search of something he himself wasn't exactly sure of. He ran for what seemed like a mile before entering a more average income suburban area, and a smile spread across his face. Surely here he would find what he was looking for. He charged down a darkened street but halted at the presence of an abandoned tricycle in someone's yard. Bingo.

The Doctor crept into the yard and began peeking into windows like some kind of creep. It never crossed his mind that he should be wary of being caught, worrying about what humans thought was always the furthest thing on his mind. Instead, he just popped from window to window until he found the sleeping child. With a grin, he noticed the window had been left open a crack. He leaned on the frame and hoped it wouldn't be too long of a wait. If his assumptions were correct, Tony wouldn't be the only child to be spooked in the night.

\----

It felt like it had been hours, maybe even days since Rose had fallen in through the closet door. It had likely only been fifteen minutes, but time seemed to feel different in that strange place. Almost like it was a physical weight that was severely sagging over everything around her. She wandered the paths and tried different doors, once in a while she'd spot the Boogeyman way off in the distance, popping in and out of doors. She'd give a shout but he never responded. It was beginning to feel hopeless and the sound of doors opening and closing was becoming white noise to her tiring brain.

With a huff, she decided to sit down. Eventually, The Doctor would come up with some clever plan to rescue her. She had faith in his ability to figure out even the most troubling predicaments and save the day. Mostly she was just tired from walking so far and looked for any excuse to stop making an effort. It had felt like the longest most tiring journey yet. She'd spent tireless days in search of escape to no avail and her body just wanted to drift off. With a sigh, she rested her chin in her hand and her elbow on her knee. Somewhere in the distance another door opened and closed.

"Well, this is rubbish." She groaned. Her eyes stared off into the vague distance of the world she was in. It was so vast and unending that the more distant the doors were, the more faded they appeared. Almost like looking off into the rolling hills of the countryside. Rose imagined the doors were little country cottages, peppering the hillsides. Cows grazed on the grassy hills, she could hear their soft munching as they moved effortlessly through the grass. A breeze tickled at the long blades creating a subtle movement along the hills. It made her feel so relaxed. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep something caught her eye. Something she hadn't expected to see inside a never-ending closet, or the English countryside for that matter. It looked almost like a parrot, sitting on one of the cottages, er, closet doors, just as the Boogeyman had. A blue and yellow parrot, just like the ones at the zoo. Rose rubbed her eyes and squinted into the distance, It really was there, staring at her. "What's that about?" She murmured to herself.

"Come along." The parrot said suddenly. Rose crinkled her nose, unsure if what she'd heard was real or not. Parrots could learn the ability to talk, she was pretty sure of that, but she had never known a parrot to speak with such clarity, nor did she ever imagine a parrot with such a striking northern accent. Perhaps he came from Manchester, she thought idly. "I said come along, Rose Tyler." Rose gasped. She leaned forward onto her palms.

"Did you just say my name?" She asked.

"You wouldn't want to be late, would you?" The parrot said casually as if it were completely ignorant of the fact that it was a bird. Rose leaned further forward, her eyes wide and locked onto the bird with great curiosity. It stretched out its wings and turned its body, preparing to fly off. Without a second thought, Rose moved forward as the bird took off, but instead of spreading her own wings and following him as she intended, she fell off the edge of the path.

\----

A scream filled the night air. The Doctor, having been fully alert and awaiting such a sound, leaped into action. The scream hadn't come from the window he was perched under but another window somewhere nearby. He took off in a sprint, jumping over the shrubbery and entered the neighbours back yard. A bright light was beaming out the second-story window. The Doctor quickly climbed onto the patio table and jumped to grip onto the overhang. He couldn't let this opportunity escape him, there was very little chance an opening would happen so close again. He strained as he pulled himself up and ran along the roof till he'd reached the window. A quick glimpse inside revealed the cloaked figure from before, looming over the small child. The Doctor pulled up on the window and slipped inside, tackling the figure backward.

The child gasped harshly as if released from an invisible chokehold, at last able to breathe. The figure wheezed and groaned as it attempted to kick The Doctor away from itself with its stubby little goat legs. The Doctor gripped on tighter and tighter the more they struggled. The child, fully back to his senses, jumped up from his sheets and pressed his back to the wall as he watched the struggled take place.

"Let go of me, fool!" The Boogeyman wheezed and clawed at the carpet.

"Not a chance!" The Doctor grunted in return.

"Get him, Mister!" The child cheered bravely. "Punch that baddie right in its ugly face!"

"It's… Doctor… actually" The Doctor barely struggled to get out as the Boogeyman gripped onto the frame of the closet door and began pulling himself in. The Doctor looked up into the bright lights, willing himself to hang on just long enough to get inside the door. He'd been to the rodeo, he reminded himself, surely he could hang on a little while longer.

A light from the hallway switched on. The child looked over at the bedroom door, just as his mother turned the handle. He looked back towards the closet and with a last burst of light the two characters vanished. He gasped, then turned his attention back to the main door where his angry mother was standing. A hand on her hip and her foot tapping.

"It's a school night, Nathan." She scolded. The child gaped at her in disbelief. How could she have missed such a moment? He clamped his mouth shut and sunk down onto his bed.

"Sorry." He murmured.

\----

Rose had tumbled a long way. So long in fact that she'd forgotten where she even fell from, or what she was doing there. She wrinkled her nose and furrowed her brow as he tried to recall the events of how she'd ended up wherever she was. It was a wide-open space, a wheat field maybe… or was it rye… her hand reached out to touch the soft golden plants swaying around her in the breeze. She looked up at the most picture-perfect blue sky, not a cloud above. They never got that kind of weather in… wherever she was from. She crinkled her nose again. Where was she from?

Deciding it wasn't worth wasting brainpower on, Rose stared up at the beautiful blue sky again. She craned her neck back further and further until she fell backward and lay beneath the swaying wheat. She sighed content, not a single care in the world. That feeling didn't seem to want to last though. Flapping wings soon invaded her vision, and the parrot from before landed brightly on her knee.

"Oh, hello." Rose sighed. "The countryside seems an awfully strange place for a parrot." She pulled down a piece of wheat and began tickling the skin of her arms with it.

"You're going to be late." The bird said in a tone that almost seemed to nag her. It caused Rose to furrow her brow slightly, but nothing more.

"Late for what?" She sounded bored. She stretched her arms up and yawned.

"Come along and see." The parrot flapped its wings and took off. With a faint air of curiosity, Rose pulled herself up from the ground and climbed to her feet. The field went on forever and ever. She could no longer see the parrot anywhere.

"What is it I'm to see?" Rose asked loudly no one in particular. With a sigh, she began walking through the wheat. Not sure why or where she was meant to be going.

\----

Back in the Tyler house, Jackie and Pete were in the living room trying to grip everything their son was telling them. Liz remained upstairs, listening. She drummed her fingers along the bannister as the voices below discussed the possibility of the Boogeyman kidnapping their fully adult daughter. She slid her hand casually from the bannister and walked softly back into Tony's room. As much as she enjoyed observing an Earth family in real life, it was time for her to get to work. The closet door opened with a creak and she stared at the back wall as if seeing more than clothes on hangers. She reached up deftly and pulled down the collar of her t-shirt to expose her clavicle. A strange door slid open in her synthetic flesh and a burst of light shot out.

The closet was suddenly glowing again, just as it had before. If only The Doctor had waited before charging off, but that wasn't in his nature, and it was never in the cards. Liz, face blank, stepped into the closet and slowly pulled the door closed behind her. With a further step inside she light disappeared and was replaced by a soft cool metallic light. She had somehow been transported from the Tyler's house, to what appeared to be a run-down space ship. The small door in her chest closed and Liz pulled her shirt back up as if nothing unusual had just taken place. With a quick sweep of her surroundings, she made an assessment. The room was huge, almost like a warehouse, with a few passageways and doors here and there. Most noteworthy was the door Liz had stepped out of. It was just standing alone in the center of the room, not accompanied by any walls. Liz walked slowly away from the door and began investigating the ship. The Doctor and Rose were surely lurking around in there somewhere, she had to find them.

An android, no matter how clever, lifelike or emotional, was still at its core a piece of machinery. No matter how much personality it is given, or what its dreams are, an android cannot disobey its primary directive. The Doctor had almost got Liz figured out, he was convinced of it, but what he understood was only the surfaced portion of the iceberg. What remained under the water was far greater than anyone could have anticipated. Liz felt the beating of an anxious heart that never truly existed. She silently cursed her creator for making her so human. If only things could be different. If only there was another way. Her mechanical mind knew better. This wasn't one of her sitcoms, she could not escape her true purpose.

Craning her neck, Liz could see some kind of unmanned observation deck. Deciding that was where she needed to be, she started the journey of finding her way into it. With any luck, on the way, she might run into one of her lost companions, but she already knew the likelihood of that. She entered one of the doors just beneath the glass room and it closed softly behind her.

\----

The Doctor clung to the rough fabric of the boogeyman as they fell through the air. The cloak flapped angrily in the wind and in The Doctor's unappreciative face. Then suddenly, it was gone. The Doctor was still falling, but he was no longer clutching onto anything. He opened his arms and looked around but the Boogeyman had vanished. A glance down quickly told him that there was no imminent danger of hitting the ground, and a quick look around told him the laws of physics probably didn't apply there anyway… in fact, something dodgy was going on with the world around him. Almost like it was glitching in and out.

His decent quickly began to slow into more of afloat. There was more time to look around, but he didn't see any sign of the cloaked figure or of Rose. Just a lot of floating pathways and doors. The Doctor reached up to his forehead and rubbed his palm against it, for a painful headache had begun to form. It had been years since he'd had one of those, and the feeling was certainly not welcome. He crossed his arms and clicked his tongue thoughtfully as he pondered his situation.

"This is all very impressive," The Doctor began. "but kid's closets? Bit of a waste really."

"What do you want?" The wheezing voice of the Boogeyman called out from somewhere unseen. He appeared in front of The Doctor and floated gently downwards with him. "Two humans in one day, why can't you leave us be?" The Doctor quirked an eyebrow.

"Us?"

"You'll die in here, you know. There is no escape." The Boogeyman wheezed. "Does that scare you?"

"No," The Doctor shrugged. "Because I won't die in here… and neither will Rose. Where is she by the way?" He looked around again. His eyes squinted as his surroundings seemed to crackle in and out of focus and the pain to his head flared.

"Truly lost by now." The boogeyman made a strange noise that sounded like it could be a chuckle. "You could search for an eternity and still never find her in here."

"I'll take my chances." The Doctor took a more serious tone as he stared at the shark-like grin beneath the hood.

"Suit yourself." The figure shrugged and then disappeared. The Doctor looked all around him once more, causing his body to flip over slowly as he floated. He needed a moment of silence to really focus his thoughts. He closed his eyes. The drumming pain in his head fought against him.

"Rose?" He called out experimentally but his voice seemed to fall flat. "Hmm."

\----

"Rose?"

The girl in question was wandering aimlessly through what appeared to be a sort of abandoned mall. There were no shoppers, there were no employees, it was just an empty mall with the soft sounds of generic music playing casually in the background. If she listened hard enough, she might have recognized the instrumental tune of a certain Beatles song, but she had other things on her mind. Rose couldn't remember how she ended up there, or what she was looking for, but she felt fairly certain she was looking for something. Why else would someone wander?

"Rose? Who's Rose?" Rose asked as she looked at a shop mannequin wearing an Elizabethan gown. She frowned at it disapprovingly and kept walking. The next window display held a painting of a small girl cheerily feeding a massive dragon on a grassy hillside. Rose smiled. Nearby, the parrot sat on the back of a bench, watching her. Rose noticed him for the first time but hardly seemed surprised. "Are you Rose?" She asked as she slowly walked past. The bird didn't respond. In another window there was a display of orange spacesuits, Rose stopped to admire it. There was something very familiar, and yet completely unfamiliar about the display.

A feeling suddenly spiked at the back of her neck, instincts she'd forgotten she had. Something other than the silly old parrot was watching her. She turned her head to see a figure in a raggedy brown cloak standing by a planter, un-ashamedly staring at her with his covered face. There was a strange feeling inside her, not quite fear, but something else, perhaps intrigue. A thought flashed through her mind, or maybe it was a memory. Another figure in a cloak… but they weren't the same.

"Hello?" She called out to the figure softly. "Are you Rose?" The figure didn't answer her, but it did begin to float away from her. It held something in its hand, it looked to be some sort of thin, long-stemmed horn.

"Be careful, Rose!" The bird called out in its strange un-birdlike voice. She turned to look back at the bird, and it flapped its wings anxiously. By the time she looked back, the figure was gone. With a sigh, Rose walked over to the parrot and put her arm out for it to climb onto. "I don't suppose you could offer me any useful help?" She asked the bird softly and stroked its feather breast. The bird puffed up its feather's at her touch and it made Rose smile. "You're a funny sort of fellow."

With the parrot firmly perched on her arm, Rose began to walk once more. She turned and made to leave the mall, having decided that she wasn't going to get any shopping done. The exit doors were not made of clear glass-like one might expect, instead, they were solid wood. She pushed the doors open to reveal an entirely different landscape. Exiting a mall, and entering what appeared to be a cathedral. An organ was playing loudly, for the first time Rose noticed the pews were filled. None of the faces in the room appeared to be familiar at all. Further attention to detail revealed gaudy decorations and flowers spread all over the room and alter.

"Is it a wedding?" Rose asked the parrot on her arm. He ruffled his feathers. "How humiliating, walking in on a wedding." Rose began to back up, but just as she'd taken that first step backward the entire room seemed to turn and look at her. Each guest wearing a perfectly blank and featureless face like shop window mannequins… she hated shop dummies, but she couldn't remember why. "Sorry!" She tried before turning to pull open the double doors. They were suddenly locked. "Bugger." She whispered. Turning around again, she noted that everyone seemed to be on their feet. A quick look down revealed that she was in a white gown. "Oh dear…" She muttered. "It's my wedding…" She looked up at the bird and pursed her lips.

"Told you not to be late." The bird said casually.

With awkward steps, Rose made her way down the aisle. Each blank face turned to watch as she passed. Despite the awkward situation, it didn't occur to Rose that she should feel embarrassed or anxious. She never even wondered why her parents or brother hadn't bothered to show up for her own wedding. She just felt… comfortably numb. As she reached the alter, a particularly blank-faced priest blessed her, then turned her to face her groom. Rose frowned.

"That's…" She looked at the strange object before her up and down. "That's not really a person…" She looked back at the priest but they made no movements or sounds. "It's just a blue box… can you marry a blue box?" She looked at the parrot hoping he would provide the answers.

Glancing back at the crowd Rose once again saw the figure in the brown cloak. She squinted to try to see him clearly, but he suddenly vanished again. That was when the doors to the curious blue box opened, and an intense golden light burst out of it. Rose lifted her free arm to shield her eyes and the parrot flapped its wings wildly. A sudden surge of terror pounded through her heart. This felt familiar, she couldn't understand why, but she knew she needed to stay away from the terrifying, burning light.

"Go to her." The parrot said. "Don't be afraid."

"I can't!" Rose replied shakily. "You said I would burn!" The words came out of her mouth but she couldn't understand them. She squinted her eyes and gritted her teeth against the swirling tendrils of light that began to engulf her. "No!" She fought against them.

"It's alright." The parrot promised soothingly. He no longer appeared to be on her shoulder, but his voice was still directly beside her ear. "You have to be brave. You have to go to her." Rose screamed as the light engulfed her whole.

\----

Heavy boots walked at a brisk pace along path after path. There were no signs of the Boogeymen, or of Rose anywhere. The pain in his head was growing worse all the time and his patience was starting to slip. He enjoyed playing an enemy's game for a bit, but in this case, it wasn't any fun and it wasn't getting him anywhere.

"Right," The Doctor began loudly. "This was fun for the first second, but it grew tiresome real fast. I'm going to count to three… If someone doesn't show up by then, I'm going to start tearing this place apart." There was no reaction. "One… Two… Three…" He looked around, nothing was happening. "You think I'm bluffing?" He walked over to one of the doors and gave it a swift boot with the full force of his heel. The door shattered like glass. "Someone's getting their full forty winks tonight." He jumped from one path to the next and repeated the same action with another door, then another. "Funny thing about dimensional gate stations, reality is pretty well what you make it… especially if you're clever like me." He smashed his boot through another door. The world around him fizzled and glitched. He pulled back his arm dramatically to punch through another door…

"Stop!" A wheezy voice cut through the thick air like a knife. The Doctor slowly lowered his arm, a smug grin playing on his lips. He spun around, but the cloaked figure he was faced with was not the same as the one he'd chased through the door. "Please… stop." The Doctor quirked an eyebrow.

"Alright, since you asked nicely…" The Doctor crossed his arms across his chest. "Now, where is Rose Tyler?"

"You existing in this place is going to tear it apart." The figure wheezed, ignoring The Doctor's question. "You must leave, now."

"What's wrong?" The Doctor asked sarcastically and shifted his weight to one leg. "Your ship having trouble with foreign minds? Time Lord a bit too much for the old systems?" The figure didn't answer. "Dabble in a little inter-dimensional travel, me. This ship is a cheap knock off of the real deal. Can't really substitute technology with something living though, can you?" The figure remained silent and unmoving. "If I had to guess, I'd say the technology is meant to link to the brain, only it's having a lot of trouble with a powerful brain like mine. It's all a little too… rich, just a little too much for these old systems. It can't control my thoughts like it can humans. If I'm in here long enough, who knows what may happen? It just may blow." The Doctor looked up and around casually. "Now, Rose… Rose is perfectly compatible for your systems, isn't she? Her mind is easy to connect to and manipulate, she's just a human after all. Probably had a few walks in on you before, get lost, keep them for a treat…"

"You must leave." The figure wheezed, more urgently this time.

"I've seen your kind before, believe it or not. You feed off lower life form brain activity to keep yourselves and your technology running… fear providing the most effective and raw source of power, but dreams work nicely too. You pop through door after door to give a little spook, harvest the energy, and you keep on going…. But every once in a while you let one in, you keep them in a constant state of REM sleep and just like a hamster on a wheel, you got yourself a reliable energy source." The Doctor rattled on cockily. "I'm guessing that's what you've done with Rose… I can promise you that won't end well." He finished firmly.

"You're too late! I have devoured her, bones and all!" A second wheezy voice cackled from somewhere above. The Doctor jerked his head up to see the first cloaked figure floating down to them, his hood was pulled back and his hideous face was revealed. He landed on the path next to the other. "We should do the same with you." He growled through his horrible grinning mouth.

"Silence, brother." The unnamed figure wheezed. "There's no point playing with him, his fear is no good to us." The first brother pulled back his own hood to reveal a large tired and withered face. It was a white, and very reminiscent of the Earth's moon. For the first time, The Doctor noticed a long-stemmed horn in his hand and recognition kicked in, this character was the long-fabled Sandman. "Perhaps if I put him to sleep… perhaps his dreams…"

"What good would that do?" The boogeyman snarled. "His dreams will surely overload the systems, we cannot risk it! I will remove him myself." The entire room glitched and sputtered. The Boogeyman growled. "We must kill him now!" The moon-faced Sandman slowly pulled open his cloak with a frail white hand to reveal several heavy bags of sand around his waist.

"Just give me the girl, and we'll leave." The Doctor said calmly as he eyed the bags of sand. "I promise you, no harm done."

"I will feed off her nightmares until there is nothing left but her withered husk!" The Boogeyman barked angrily.

\----

Liz kicked open the door to the observation room and grinned. It was exactly what she had been hoping for. The glass windows looked out over the massive room she had appeared in, and below that was a console with monitors and buttons all over it. Liz walked swiftly to the window and glanced out. She could see, in the middle of the room, The Doctor was now there. She must have just missed him… only he wasn't alone. He was talking to two hideous creatures.

With determination, Liz pulled out the desk chair and sat behind the monitor. Her computerized brain scanned over the console as if studying each button carefully. One monitor was titled 'dreamscape' and she quickly switched it on. A picture appeared on the screen, hazy at first but it slowly became clear. It was Rose, wandering around in an empty room. According to the buttons, there were five dreamscapes, and Rose was in room one.

Liz began typing on the keyboard in front of her and was easily able to access the ship's manual. Thousands of pages per second scrolled across the screen as she attempted to soak up all the information she could on how to operate the controls. With the new information fully uploaded into her artificial brain, an idea formed. Taking a moment she pulled herself up to see if the Doctor was still down there. He was. She sunk herself back down and began hitting a few buttons.

A digital image of his brain flashed across the screen. It was overloading the systems, the whole place would implode in a matter of seconds. With a little bit of hacking, she could shut off his connection to their systems completely and give her enough time to get to Rose, but just as she was about to set to work something sparked on the screen within The Doctor's brain. Liz gasped and jumped to her feet to observe the scene below. She cursed his reckless and unpredictable nature. There was only one thing she could do now.

"Hope this works…" She muttered and began typing frantically.

\----

"I am sorry, Time Lord." The Sandman wheezed. "We cannot risk you to exist any further." The Doctor took that as his queue. He charged forward like a bolt of lightning, eyes fixated on the bag. The Boogeyman lurched forward as well to intercept, but The Doctor somehow disappeared from his clutches.

"Certain advantages with a brain as powerful as mine in a place like this!" With a grin, The Doctor reappeared by the Sandman's hip, his hands connected with the bag of sand and he gripped onto it tightly before power sliding across the floor and over the edge of the floating pathway. The brothers shrieked in horror as The descending Doctor waved cheekily up at them.

The Boogeyman vanished from above and reappeared next to The Doctor. He swiped for the bag but The Doctor narrowly dodged. They spun as they fell faster and faster through the air, the ship unable to keep up with The Doctor's brain. The Boogeyman came in for another swipe but The Doctor pushed him back with a hard clock to the face. He opened the bag just enough to pull out a tiny amount of sand and, by rolling himself overused the momentum of the fall to blow the sand back into his face.

Everything went dark.

After a few quiet seconds of adjusting to the sensation of being mentally transported, The Doctor could feel that his feet were firmly planted on the ground. First, he patted his jacket, then his face, and of course he checked his ears. He pursed his lips and nodded that he was all there, but where exactly was he. A quick spin around gave him nothing. If his plan had worked, he intended to enter the dreamscape and use his mind to manipulate his surroundings until he hopefully met up with Rose. It was a gamble and one that was time-sensitive since the brothers would no doubt be on his tail.

"Rose?" He called out. This time his voice echoed on and on. In the distance, a light flickered on. He squinted but it was too far away to see what was. He began to walk towards it. The closer he got, the clearer it became. It was a curtain, the kind in hospitals that separated patients from other patients. The light was coming from the other side of it. The Doctor broke into a light jog. As he neared the curtain he hit the brakes and took a deep breath. There was definitely a hospital bed on the other side, he could see that through the curtain, and in that bed… he slowly stepped around. "Rose." He breathed. He did it, he broke into her dreams. Rose looked up, her face breaking into a wide smile. She looked tired, but completely at peace.

"Isn't he beautiful?" She spoke so softly. The Doctor's eyes fell from her face to the object in her arms. It was literally a small mass of bright golden swirling light. Just light with no mass, and no shape. The Doctor squinted as he tried to look at it, but he had to look away. Rose, however, stared at the light as if it were a newborn babe.

"Rose, you have to wake up now." The Doctor spoke softly as he approached the bed. "We have to go." Rose didn't appear to hear him. She just smiled adoringly into the light.

"So beautiful." She whispered.

"Rose," The Doctor leaned down to her level. She glanced up at him again and reached her free hand up to stroke the back of his neck.

"You came back… Such a lovely bird," She said numbly. "Isn't he beautiful?"

"Yes, very." The Doctor confirmed as he started pulling the blankets away. "You can take him with us, but we need to go now. Those brothers won't take a second to come after me." He guided Rose to sit up and turn her body so her legs hung over the side. All the while her eyes locked onto that strange ball of light. She slowly stood and began to shuffle her way along into the darkness, away from the bed. It was a start. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began fiddling with the settings. He could easily wake himself and escape without issue, but since they were in Rose's dream she needed to be the one to wake up. He hoped that he could sever the system's connection.

"It's too late." The Sandman was suddenly standing in front of them the darkness. "You can see, she's already gone. Leave this place."

"She's stronger than you think," The Doctor muttered, barely looking up from his screwdriver. A loud snorting laugh from behind told him the Boogeyman was there as well.

"You're a fool." It taunted as it approached him.

"Am I now?" The Doctor attempted to manipulate their surroundings as he had before but suddenly realized with a slight shock that his connection to the system had been severed. How was that possible? If they'd been able to do that all along there would have been no need for their panic… He couldn't think about that now though, he had to make a quick change in plans. He stepped closer to Rose and turned her to face him. Her eyes were still locked onto the light, lovingly. "You bring the sand, the sand brings the dreams, and you fill your systems with that good stuff." The Doctor stated, his own eyes fixated on Rose. "But the dreamer is actually the one in control." He glanced briefly at each brother, then gently brought his hand to rest at the side of Rose's temple. "Sorry about this." He muttered before closing his eyes lightly.

"What's all this?" A loud and booming voice shook the ground all around them. The brothers looked up and all around, attempting to maintain their balance. "Running off in the middle of the night without so much as a by your leave!"

"Mum?" Rose blinked a few times. A massive Jackie Tyler began to form in the darkness, her face the size of a house. She loomed over the four of them angrily.

"What- you forget your mother now? Figures." Jackie boomed and leaned forward. "Your father is hysterical…"

"I'm sorry, I-" Rose began and the light in her arms started to fade away.

"What's happening?!" The Boogeyman shouted as the ground began to shake. The Doctor kept his eyes shut and his hand firmly on Rose's head.

"-was just trying to help!" Rose finished and the light disappeared completely.

"You could start by waking up…" Rose blinked a few times and the darkness began to crumble around them. A little smile crept onto The Doctor's lips. The Boogeyman snarled angrily and lurched forward, tackling The Doctor and knocking him to the ground. The black faded away and the doors and pathways crept into site. The Boogeyman opened his shark-like jaws and leaned in as if to take a bite out of The Doctor's face. He pushed as hard as he could to keep the beast at arm's length, but his strength was too great.

Suddenly, the Boogeyman was knocked off of The Doctor with a vicious tackle. The Time Lord blinked a few times in shock, then sprung to his feet. A confused Rose stood staring back at him. Then the two fixed their attention on the fight happening right in front of them. Liz had come to the rescue and was now fighting for her life against the Boogeyman's gnashing teeth and beastly claws. The Doctor lurched forward to aid her but was struck down by the Sandman with a massive blow to the head with his horn. He hit the ground hard and was out like a light.

"You should really go back to sleep, dear." The sandman wheezed as he neared Rose. "Dreams are so much nicer than the nasty realities of the world, don't you agree?" She didn't answer, her eyes were locked on the struggle between Liz and the Boogeyman. The Sandman pulled out a second bag of sand from inside his cloak and dug his hand into it. He was dangerously close and getting closer. Rose snapped her attention back to him just as he stepped forward to blow the sand at her.

"Maybe you should take your own advice." Rose blurted and took a deep inhale. With one powerful blow, the sand flew from his hand and into his own face. His eyes rolled up into his skull and he fell to the ground. Rose ran past him and towards Liz, but a loud gunshot stopped her dead in her tracks.

The fighting had stopped.

Liz had blown the head right off the Boogeyman with the assault rifle in her arm. His body collapsed on top of hers. Rose blinked a few times to shake off the site, then ran to her friend. She pulled the corpse from Liz with serious strain, then her heart filled with horror.

"No…" Rose gaped. "Liz!"

The Android had been ripped to shreds. Her flesh peeled open to reveal the mangled exoskeleton underneath, and bits of her parts were scattered along the floor. One of her arms was a nearby but completely detached, her wires were sprawling ever which way, and most disturbingly, her head had become severed from her body.

"It's alright, Rose," Liz said quietly. A lot of her hair had been torn off and the insides of her robotic brain were exposed. The blue lights and tiny moving parts looked almost beautiful.

"The Doctor can fix you." Rose began shakily, tears beginning to form in her eyes. "He can put you back together." She placed a hand tenderly on either side of Liz's head.

"No," Liz replied. "He will not. I am not meant to live."

"What do you mean?" Rose blinked away the hot tears in an effort to see better. She could feel the hysterics building inside her.

"My primary directive has been fulfilled. This is where my part in the story ends…" Rose shook her head, unable to comprehend anything Liz was saying.

"You're not making any sense. You're damaged, we'll fix you." Rose sobbed loudly. "You're supposed to work for my Dad, you're supposed to live on Earth."

"Listen to me, Rose," Liz said firmly. "I was never meant to do those things." Rose tried to argue but the Liz pushed on. "I was always supposed to die here, for you and for The Doctor." Rose shook as she attempted to hold in her sobs.

"I can't leave you here…"

"You can… you already have." Liz tried to smile but the motor functions in her face weren't working properly anymore. "Do not be sad for me. I did was I was made to do. I was made just for you, programmed to love you unconditionally and protect you at all costs… placed in time where you could find me so I could keep you alive… keep the future alive…" Liz's body made a strange jarring sound.

"Made for- by who?" Rose wiped away the tears with her shoulder but more tears were taking their place. She sniffled loudly.

"I think you already know." Liz smiled. "Please, thank The Doctor for showing me the Earth… it truly was a fantastic life… and Rose? You were everything I had hoped you would be… Thank you." Rose began to sob again. She squeezed her eyes tight and shook her head. Liz reached her remaining hand up from where her body and rested it on Rose's stomach. "Do not be afraid." And then, ever so softly, the light went dim in her skull and the tiny parts stopped moving.

Rose clutched the head of her best mate tightly to her and cried loudly and angrily in the large empty room. Despite The Doctor being nearby on the floor, she'd never felt more alone.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's plain to see it's trying to speak  
Cherished dreams forever asleep

The road to recovery is oft full of bumps.

Rose had not handled the loss of Liz very well. They'd known each other for such a short time, but in that time they'd cemented a solid bond. There had been an innocent quality to Liz that Rose loved. She'd been a comfort, a confidant, a sounding board… she had been the perfect best mate… and now Rose knew why. She had been designed just for her. That was perhaps the hardest part to deal with. There were a hundred questions with the death of one android. Who had built her? Why did they build her? What did she mean about time? Was it all connected to Jude in some way and the ominous event he referred to? Rose couldn't help but feel like a dandelion seed being tossed about in the wind without any say on what happened to her. She felt so small and helpless.

Liz meant to clarify something for her, but instead, she made Rose feel more scared and unsure than ever. The worst part was that she couldn't bear to talk to The Doctor about it. Not without revealing everything she had sworn to keep secret. What would happen if he knew? Perhaps he could help, or perhaps it would only harm them in the long run. It would have been better if Rose had also been kept in the dark all along.

Alone once more, Rose sat on the edge of her bed in her parent's house and clutched her head. Liz's final words repeated over and over in her mind. "Do not be afraid." They haunted her, made her feel more afraid for the uncertain future. She spent the last two weeks rolling around in her bedsheets trying to piece together the puzzle and gather her strength to move on and face whatever was undoubtedly coming their way. With all that time to over-analyze every second, one thing had become terrifyingly clear. Rose was not ready to face her own death.

Meanwhile, The Doctor was facing demons of his own. Two weeks trapped with the Tylers was his own personal hell. He was trying his hardest to be sympathetic and understanding, but he couldn't wrap his head around Rose not being able to mourn on the road. Why did she have to stay at her mother's? Rose couldn't really answer that herself, she just felt the need to be with family. She needed everyone she loved in one place while her fragile heart mended.

"Cries at the drop of a hat these days…" Jackie said to one of her friends over the phone. "No, I've tried all the normal tricks… she doesn't handle loss very well, you see." She dropped a teabag into a cup and rounded her kitchen island. "You're right about that, I am happy to have her back home where I can keep an eye on her… just that boyfriend of hers…" Jackie stood in front of her picture window and sipped her tea. Sitting in the middle of her perfectly manicured lawn, The Doctor was busy pulling apart an airplane engine. Sensing that someone was watching, he turned and waved an oil-stained hand at Jackie with a wide grin. "Oh, you have no idea." She sighed as she turned away from the window. "But what am I to do? She's in love with him." Jackie sat on one of the plush chairs in her tea nook. "Oh, Did you hear Nancy Blair got engaged?…" At that moment, Rose walked into the kitchen and began preparing herself a cup of tea. The sudden rare appearance in any room but her bedroom caused Jackie to grow hopeful. "Sorry, have to go now, Sarah." She quickly hung up her phone and set it on the nearby table. "How do you feel this morning, sweetheart?"

"Fine," Rose answered. "Was that Sarah Thompson?"

"Oh, yeah… Poor thing's going through a divorce and all that…" Rose nodded but she wasn't really listening. She picked up her cup and walked over to the picture window. The Doctor was now standing on the engine, the long sleeves of his jumper rolled up, a splotch of oil on his cheek. She smiled softly. She knew he had cabin fever, he was itching to leave, but he never said a word about it to Rose. He had been so patient and so thoughtful. "Where did he even get an engine like that?" Jackie asked over Rose's shoulder.

"Best not to ask those kinds of questions," Rose answered softly and sipped her tea.

"He's going to have the police at the door if anyone sees that… bloody Roswell in my back yard…" Jackie began to ramble. but Rose was already on the move. She pushed open the back door and walked out onto the wet grass in her bare feet. The feeling was welcome, it gave Rose a warm feeling in her heart. The Doctor was straddling the engine and pulling at some of the wires on top. He glanced up as Rose neared and gave her a warm but cautious smile.

"You look nice." He stated honestly before pulling another wire. Rose looked down at her silk dressing gown and tucked a piece of her matted and uncombed hair behind her ear.

"Busy?" She asked as she took a couple of steps closer. The Doctor sat up straight and swung his leg around so he could push himself off the engine.

"Not at all." He answered as his feet touched the ground. He smiled and closed the gap between them, taking Rose into his arms with a heavy-lidded smile. Rose blushed under his gaze, it had been a while since they were last intimate, in any nature of the word. She'd barely even seen him in the last couple of weeks. He leaned down and planted a soft kiss onto her lips that seemed to temporarily make all the ill feelings disappear. She sighed as he pulled away. The Doctor's eyes flicked up towards the house and Rose found herself following his gaze. Looking over her shoulder she saw her mother standing in the window with her tea.

"Blimey, that'll kill the mood." Rose groaned and then laughed. The Doctor laughed too. It had been the first in a while for both of them. "You been getting along?"

"Oh sure," The Doctor shrugged. "I fixed her washing machine yesterday."

"That was thoughtful," Rose said, surprise evident in her voice.

"It does pizzas now too." He grinned and Rose found herself laughing again. He always found a way to make her laugh.

"I'm sure she appreciated that."

"She will late at night when she's wishing for a hot and cheesy snack."

Pete walked into the kitchen with his iPad in hand and set it on the counter. Jackie was standing in the window watching Rose and The Doctor holding each other and laughing. She couldn't help but feel relieved that Rose seemed to be doing better, but why did her happiness always have to be centered around him? It made her anxious. Nothing good to come from it, she'd seen that before. Pete let out a sigh and joined her there, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"They really love each other," Pete said quietly.

"I know." Jackie sighed. She turned to look at Pete. "Me and my stupid mouth, I'd always hoped she'd end up with a doctor… I forgot to say human." Pete laughed lightly. "Anyway, I know he isn't so bad… it's just principle, you know."

"Right," Pete nodded as he spun away.

"I've been thinking…" Rose said, still snug in The Doctor's embrace. "Maybe sitting around here is only making things worse. Liz wouldn't have wanted that…" The Doctor nodded in agreement. "I think we need to get back to it…"

"Back to-?" The Doctor asked letting his arms slide away from her.

"What we were doing before we met Liz," Rose stated as if she couldn't believe he'd forgotten.

"Oh, right." He snapped his fingers excitedly. "Eternity!" He grinned from ear to ear, but the smile didn't last. He grabbed Rose's hands and looked at her seriously. "Are you sure that's what you want to do? Living forever means watching all the people you love die… you'll be forced to experience this pain over and over until the end of time." Rose pursed her lips and looked at the grass for a long time while she considered his words. For two weeks she'd weighed all the possibilities. If she were to die... if she were to live... but looking up from the grass and into those gorgeously blue eyes, only one decision could be made. She nodded.

"They'll always be alive at some point in time…" She smiled bravely up at The Doctor, and he smiled back at her. A proud sort of smile one receives from a teacher when they give the correct answer. In that moment, she wasn't sure she could believe in those words, but in the end, it either wouldn't matter or she'd learn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time flies when we spend each night together.

"I know where we'll go!"

Rose nearly dropped the beans on toast that had been making its way to her mouth. The Doctor had spent the last two days in the library tirelessly searching for a potential heading. Rose had decided to do other self-care related things in that time. Watch telly, take a nap, knit a tea cozy. The TARDIS had become a much quieter and boring place without Liz. They'd literally spent every second together since their escape from Broman. They'd talk so long into the nights that they'd pass out in Rose's bed together nearly every night. It had become painful to even walk into that bedroom anymore. She could hear Liz's natural human-like laughter as they flipped through photo albums and shared magazines. Liz had been a refreshing nostalgia trip to her youth, spouting ridiculous catchphrases from shows long since past and begging to style Rose's hair in various looks that were no longer acceptable.

It was cruel to think someone had designed her just perfectly enough for Rose to fall in love with her. Did they know the pain they'd cause? And to what end?

Perhaps Liz's death served as a reminder that we cannot live in the past. Just as Broman had learned that difficult lesson, Rose had experienced the emotional equivalent. It was fun to take trips to the past, but it was what it was and we can't live there, metaphorically anyway. The Doctor could live in whatever time he wanted. That was another thing, The Doctor… He and Rose had grown apart in Liz's presence. Her entrance into their lives ended their honeymooning abruptly. The closer Rose got to Liz, the further she got from The Doctor. Maybe that was done on purpose… or maybe her death was to stop her from getting too far from him… Rose could spend eternity just trying to figure out the complexities of Liz's role in this strange play they were unwillingly a part of. She was beginning to drive herself mad, unable to stop her brain from dwelling.

Upon their return to the TARDIS, Rose was determined not to think about any of it for a second longer. It was time to move on. The first step in that for her was to leave that bedroom of memories behind. She wasn't nineteen anymore, she was not that person anymore. She closed the door to that room preserving everything inside like a time capsule. Then she tenderly took The Doctor's hand and brought her pajamas to his room. Perhaps it was a big step, but for the two of them, it didn't seem like a big deal. For Rose, it was what needed to be done. They were partners, there was no need for the strange division separate bedrooms provided. They loved each other, they always wanted to be with each other. Rose felt it was more important than ever to be as close to The Doctor as possible.

For The Doctor's part, he never really slept and therefore a bedroom seemed sort of like wasted space. If he did sleep it was either a quick nap on the jump seat, a pass out in the library, or Rose's bed. Rose never really questioned it in the past, so when she brought up the idea to amalgamate, The Doctor just smiled and agreed. It was part of her healing and growing, he was happy to accommodate. He never mentioned to her that an entirely new room would need to be constructed, but thanks to the TARDIS, he didn't have to. A door was ready, and a room was waiting.

The next step in their road to getting back to the search was to take a quick and easy trip to Barcelona. The planet of course. They needed a bit of fun and no place seemed more fitting in The Doctor's eyes. They'd had a good old time there, laughing at dogs with no noses and spending a very healthy amount of time on the colourful beaches. They almost looked like real tourists on holiday as they dined and drank and danced. Just to see The Doctor's wide grin in the warm light of an unreal sunset was enough to completely heal every wound Rose had ever sustained. He had been perfectly charming the entire trip, not once looking for trouble. They couldn't go on like that for much longer though. Itchy feet plagued them both once more, and after a few days of nothing but smiling and romantic touches, they were both ready to continue on. If the end truly was coming, Rose thought, at least she could take those memories into the afterlife to relive again and again.

Now Rose was in the kitchen, she'd just made herself a little snack and was thinking about going off to the pool for a swim. The Doctor's sudden entrance and excited voice threw that idea out the window.

"Where?" Rose asked as she once again raised the toast to her mouth.

"The fountain of youth!" The Doctor beamed proudly. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Earth history again?" She groaned, a little disappointed in the lack of imagination. Surely Earth had been tapped out, there was no chance of some supernatural cure for aging there.

"No, I never go to Florida." The Doctor shuddered. "There's a planet that's said to have something very similar to the Earth legend." Rose swallowed her last bite of toast and leaned forward in her seat with great interest.

"An alien planet with a fountain of youth? And what? I just have to bathe in it?" The Doctor nodded enthusiastically. "And where's this?"

"Xooberon. Late thirty-first century." He raised a hand beckoning her to follow him as he exited the kitchen.

"You've got your facts straight this time?" Rose jabbed as she followed him into the control room.

"Remember that vendor we met at the market when we were pushing Hot Dogs?" He gestured to his jaw and drew his hands out to illustrate the large tusks the vendor had on his face. Rose nodded.

"How could I forget?" Rose said sarcastically.

"Well, I never thought much on the book he'd given me, but I thought just now I'd crack it open and there it was!" He snapped his fingers and grinned. "Wasn't much to go on, but given that this book came from this universe I've got a good feeling." Rose nodded remembering the issues with the grail. "There was a small excerpt about the fountain in that book! What luck!" He clapped his hands together. "It said the inhabitants have experienced the benefits of the fountain and have thrived because of it." He ran his hand along the console affectionately as he circled it.

"So I guess we're off to the desert to see how accurate the book is?" The Doctor moved around the far side of the console and flashed her a grin that answered her question.

\----

Xooberon was dreadful. It was a desert wasteland environment with red sand and jagged rocks poking from the ground here and there. The wind was harsh and the air was hot, a dry sort of heat that made your mouth taste like paste. Rose, upon testing the weather, had run back in to change into a pair of denim shorts and a white vest top. The Doctor stood as patient as he could in the blistering heat, he was leaning against a rock with his arms crossed when Rose returned.

"Can't imagine a fountain of any sort in a place like this," Rose said as she put on a pair of sunglasses. The Doctor inspected them enviously. "Got you a pair as well." He grinned as she passed him the banged-up old pair she'd found when searching for a pair of shorts in the wardrobe room. He placed them on his face cooly and looked off into the distance stoically. Something in Rose's stomach fluttered appreciatively.

"So far everything checks out," The Doctor looked around rapidly. "I've got a good feeling about this." His face broke into a grin as he took Rose's hand in his own with a light squeeze. His optimism transferred to Rose immediately.

They began walking in no specific direction with no general concept of where they needed to be. Rose had, as she usually did, put her blind faith in The Doctor, and the Doctor, as he usually did, put his blind faith into his blind luck. After two hours that optimism they'd both been carrying died like the wind that had been keeping the intense heat bearable. Rose pulled out her sunblock and began to slather it onto her exposed skin in desperation.

"You know, Doctor," She began as she paused to bend over and cover her legs. "This place seems very familiar. Have we been here before?" He stopped and turned to look at her.

"No." He said flatly. "This planet didn't exist in my Universe…" Rose made a curious 'hmm' noise and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sunblock?" She offered the bottle to The Doctor but he shook his head. "Are there any people on this planet? Anyone we could ask for directions?" She tucked the sunblock bottle into her back pocket and stretched.

"Don't need directions." The Doctor replied with his back to her. Rose frowned.

"So you know where we're going then?" She walked over to him and peered around his shoulder to see that his brow was furrowed in concentration. "Hello?" She waved a hand, not willing to be ignored. The Doctor snapped his head the side to look at her.

"This place looks familiar to you, you said?" He completely ignored her challenge of his competence. Rose sighed and rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't change the subject."

"Don't you think the ground feels different here?" The Doctor ignored her again and began bouncing. Rose wasn't having any of it, she knew enough men to know what he was up to.

"Doctor," She grumbled, but as he bounced she noticed he did seem to be getting a bit more spring than he should be getting on dense sand. Rose's irritation faded away as she began to bounce too. "I think there's something under here!" She gasped. The Doctor quickly crouched to the ground and began sweeping the sand away. Rose crouched and helped him, within no time wood began to appear under the fingertips. Their sweeping motions grew wider as they spread further apart to expose more of the wooden platform. "It's a door…" Rose said as she stood back to observe the full shape. It appeared to be a large trap door with a small ring-like handle. "What's a door doing in the middle of a desert?"

"Only one way to find out." The Doctor grinned as he stood beside her. His eyes met hers in a playful way, then he burst forward to grip the handle. The board lifted easily enough, revealing a darkened stone staircase. Rose gripped a hand lightly around The Doctor's arm as she leaned over to look down into the depths.

"You don't think the fountain is down there, do you?" She asked as she squinted to try to see further into the black.

"Either way we're going to have a look." He glanced up at her and shrugged. "I mean, obviously." He gave her a smile then climbed down into the stoney depths. Rose bit her lip and looked around, at least they would be out of the sweltering heat. She sighed and stepped down.

The steps went on for what seemed like forever, and with nothing but the darkness, it made climbing down them a lot more difficult. The Doctor didn't seem to have any issues climbing down, but Rose was shaky with every step. When they did finally reach the bottom they weren't in any better shape. It was far too dark to tell what was down there or if they could keep going. Rose looked back up the stairs but couldn't see the source of light from the door any longer. The Doctor dug into his jacket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, he held it up and a blue light appeared.

"You couldn't have done that before?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

"Need to conserve the batteries." He replied. Looking ahead there was nothing but a long hallway.

"Batteries?" Rose mouthed silently with a face twisted in confusion and disbelief. The Doctor took her by the hand and switched off the light source.

"Just keep your hand along the wall. It looks like a straight shot." He began to walk, and Rose followed when she felt a slight tug.

"This thing better be down here," Rose said. "So far this adventure has been both boring and a little irritating."

"They can't all be winners." The Doctor replied from somewhere in front of her. After a few moments, he flicked his light on again. The hall continued with no changes. "There's definitely something down here…" He said thoughtfully as he flicked the light off again. "Why would anyone build something like this?"

"If there's another dragon-" Rose warned playfully. The Doctor stopped suddenly and Rose crashed into his arm. "What is it?" She whispered urgently. Her body unconsciously clung around his arm as she stared forward into the darkness with wide eyes. The Doctor craned his head to the side and gave her a kiss that both startled and elated Rose. He gently pushed her against the stone wall. One had firmly clasped onto hers while the other slid up her torso and into her hair. His feverish kiss moved from her mouth to her neck, just below her ear where he knew it drove her crazy. Then, just when Rose was all but putty in his hand, he pulled back. Rose blinked a few times then fanned herself playfully with her hand. "What was that about?"

"Just trying to make it a bit more exciting for you." She could hear the smile in his voice as he tugged forward again. Rose grinned like a fool and bit her lip.

"Oh, well, If that's the case I could use a little more excitement." She teased. The Doctor paused again and she prepared herself for a proper snog this time, her eyes fluttered shut and she parted her lips slightly, but nothing came. She frowned. "Wh-"

"Shh!" The Doctor held a hand firmly over her mouth, his face near to hers as he listened. Rose, feeling a little embarrassed, attempted to try to listen for whatever he was. The halls were quiet. Nothing but that heavy feeling that comes with no sound. The Doctor's hand dropped from her mouth as he reached again for his sonic screwdriver. He held it up and switched on the light.

"Blimey!" Rose gasped as she jumped back behind The Doctor. Standing just a few meters before them was a very short man with a very tall hat. He stared at them with an unreadable expression. His clothing and skin appeared to be blue, but it was unclear if that was just the light from the screwdriver or not.

"Hello." The Doctor said.

"Who are you, why are you here?" The little man had an equally as small sounding voice. It was shrill and hard on the ears. The Doctor and Rose cringed as he spoke with attempted authority.

"I'm The Doctor, this is Rose Tyler." Rose felt herself relax a little at The Doctor's polite tones. She stepped out a little from behind him to make herself look bolder. "We're just a couple of tourists. Stumbled upon your door and here we are."

"Curiosity killed the cat you know." The little man warned. He had a creepy vibe about him that made Rose's skin crawl. In a slick move, he pulled out a match and lit a nearby torch, allowing The Doctor to put away his screwdriver.

"Are you threatening us?" Rose asked, suddenly feeling the urge to punt the man down the hall.

"Maybe…" He shrugged. "You shouldn't be here." The man continued.

"Why?" The Doctor asked curiously. "What is this place?" The man looked suddenly uncomfortable as if he wasn't sure if he should answer or not.

"None of your bees-wax." He said causing The Doctor and Rose to look at each other with curious expressions. Rose turned back and furrowed her brow as she inspected the little man.

"If I take a guess, will you say yes or no?" The Doctor asked with a hint of playfulness. The man looked unsure again. "One wink for yes, a full blink for no." The man considered, then gave a wink. The Doctor clasped his hands together victoriously. "Right!" He smiled. "Are you guarding the fountain of youth?" The little man's eyes grew wide, then his whole face turned to that of firm disapproval.

"You are not tourists at all! Are you?"

"Yeah, we are." The Doctor defended. "You were supposed to wink or blink! Was I right?" The little man pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and held it up threateningly. "Woah there." The Doctor held his hands up half-heartedly.

"It no longer matters!" The man's voice became even more shrill if possible. "You will die here, you and your kissy friend." Rose and The Doctor pulled identical faces of disgust.

"Were you watching us?" Rose asked, she took a step forward and squinted accusingly. The man's eyes darted back and forth uncomfortably. "You little wanker, you were!"

"Never mind all that," The Doctor pushed Rose aside as he took a step forward. "We're not bad people, we just want to see the fountain. Can you show us where it is?"

"I'll never tell!" He replied, swiping the knife into the open air.

"Then we'll just go through you." Rose threatened. "Gotta be down this hall somewhere." The man looked anxiously over his shoulder.

"No, it's not." He said unconvincingly. "You could never take me on in a fight. I have beaten and killed many men!"

"No women then?" Rose lurched her upper body forward causing the little man to flinch. She grinned at his response and leaned back victoriously. "That's what I thought."

"What is it exactly that you're protecting it from?" The Doctor asked. "Is it just a firm stance against eternal youth?" He crossed his arms and leaned heavily on one hip as he stared curiously at the little man.

"No, it's not that." The man said gruffly. The Doctor raised his eyebrows as if to encourage him to go on. "It's vandals." Rose turned to look at The Doctor as if she didn't believe the foolishness of it all, The Doctor just flicked his eyes to her briefly, then back to the man.

"Well, we're not vandals," Rose assured him. "Obviously." She held her arms up and spun around to show she carried nothing. "So could you please?"

"Showing off your lumpy body has no effect on me." He said sternly.

"Lumpy?!" Rose raged as she lurched forward again. The Doctor looked amused from his place behind the angry girl. "Listen here, you prick!-" Rose pulled her arm back to smack the large stupid hat from the little man's head, but when it connected she hit something hard. Instantly, she pulled her hand back and tried to wave off the pain. The Doctor's slight amusement turned into full-on joy. "Why do you have bricks in your hat?!" Rose demanded.

"There are no bricks." The man grumbled.

"What?" Rose crinkled her nose. The man raised his arms and pulled off the hat to reveal a tower of a noggin. His forehead appeared to just keep going and going. The hat merely covered what lurked beneath. Rose's eyes went wide as a sudden realization struck her. She snapped her fingers and pointed sharply at the little man. "Oh my Gosh, that's it!" She exclaimed. "I know you!" The Doctor turned his head to look at her, his amusement replaced by surprise and curiosity.

"You have been here before then?" He asked, wondering if perhaps the regenerated alternate universe Doctor had taken her there. Rose shook her head and smiled.

"Never been here." She confirmed. "but- I've seen it on the telly!" The Doctor looked properly stunned by that information. He looked back and forth between Rose and the confused little man before them. Rose spun on her heel to face The Doctor fully. "Mickey used to watch this really weird show on BBCThree,"

"That doesn't surprise me." The Doctor rolled his eyes. Rose waved his comment off.

"It was a comedy, very surreal. Mickey would laugh his arse off," Rose looked back at the little man. "I found it to be a bit stupid at times." The man frowned at her and crossed his arms impatiently. "There was an episode just like this where they looked for the fountain of youth! That's why this place seemed so familiar! Doctor, what does it mean?"

"A few theories come to mind," The Doctor muttered as he ran a thumb across his lips thoughtfully. "Much like the dragon, it could just be that this universe really has what other universes only imagined… or," his eyes met hers. "What was the name of that show?" Rose pursed her lips. She looked up with a squint to try and dig deep into the back of her mind. Nothing was really come up there. She tilted her head down and tapped on it a few times.

"Oh, it got so popular there… seems like a lifetime ago…" She mumbled. "Just on the tip of my tongue… What was it…" The Doctor stared at her with a patient intensity. The little man seemed a lot less patient as he tapped a tiny foot anxiously. Rose snapped her fingers again. "Boosh!" She cried with excitement. "It was something Boosh!" The Doctor looked a little underwhelmed by the name. "Heard of it?"

"No." He responded but glancing over at the little man told him that he had. The little man stared at them with wide eyes and a dumb gaping mouth. "Ah," The Doctor nodded pleasantly. "Friends of yours?"

"Not exactly," The man said shakily. "The Mighty Boosh was a very powerful shaman."

"Oh, that was it! That's the name!" Rose exclaimed excitedly. The Doctor held a finger to her lips with lightning accuracy, his eyes fixed on the little man as he continued his story.

"Powerful, and evil. He murdered thousands in his quest for domination over this world. A team of lesser shaman banished him to another planet and stripped him of most of his powers. He was never heard from again." After speaking the little man threw his body onto the ground before Rose. "Please!" He cried. "If you are in league with the Boosh you must forgive me! You can do whatever you want!" Rose looked at The Doctor for assistance but he was deep in thought.

"Yeah, well, alright…" Rose said awkwardly. "We just want to see the fountain so…"

"Of course!" The man tilted his head back to look up at her. "Anything!"

"Now hang on," The Doctor held a hand up and quashed Rose's feeling of success. "There's a homicidal alien in London producing a hit comedy television series on BBCThree." Rose stared at him and wondered if he'd want to go charging off to Earth to investigate the situation further. Instead, he broke into a grin. "Bloody brilliant, really." Rose gave him a look of shock. "I wasted my banishment on Earth helping UNIT, I could have produced a hit show with my knowledge!"

"Oh, you're not the type," Rose smirked as she playfully batted his arm. "You wouldn't last five minutes in telly. You'd get into it with the producers over your moral standards and that would be that."

"Yeah, probably right." The Doctor nodded with a slight smirk playing at his lips.

"Now!" Rose clapped her hands together excitedly. "Take us to the fountain!" The little man pulled himself from the ground in a bug-like scurry.

"As you wish, lady lumps." He made to kiss Rose's hand but she quickly pulled back and whacked him on the head angrily. Both parties cringed at the pain.

—

The journey down to the fountain had been a trying one. The man babbled on about his personal life, which was pathetically bland but he spoke about it as if he was some great success story. He'd gone on and on to the point where his obnoxiously squeaky voice had turned into background noise. Rose picked at her fingernails absent-mindedly while The Doctor inspected their surroundings with great interest. There were a lot of carvings on the walls, much like Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Before they had been unseen, but with the aid of the torch, he was able to observe them clearly. Pictures of what could be the fountain or the creation of the fountain… The Doctor furrowed his brow curiously as he took them in.

Another set of stairs lead to a plane iron door. It looked to be the kind of door you'd see leading to a maintenance room in an old factory. There was a large wheel style handle that the little man turned with great effort. The Doctor held the torch as he worked, but his eyes were focused on the label just above the wheel. It read 'waterworks'. An ill-feeling began to rise inside him and he chanced a glance over at Rose who looked confused.

"Here we are!" The little man spoke proudly as he pulled open the door with all his strength. Rose and The Doctor peeked around the slowly opening door to get a peek into the next room. It appeared to be massive and cave-like. There were large stalactites hanging threateningly from above, and even bigger stalagmites protruding from the ground. There was a general glow of blues and greens, and lightly bounced around on everything like it was being reflected from some unknown water source. They stepped inside and looked around curiously, there was no obvious fountain in sight.

"Well, where is it?" Rose asked, spinning around to observe the little man. He had moved from the iron door and over to a lever that was sticking out aggressively from the stone wall.

"Women are so impatient." He grumbled just loud enough for Rose to hear. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him as he pulled at the massive lever. With a loud thunk, the floor began to rumble. A few stalagmites quaked and then began to shift to expose sparkling blue water. Rose gasped and clasped onto The Doctor's hand with a smile. Something was bubbling up from beneath the water's surface. It was a dark shape that emerged from the water with a slow elegance. The water cascaded down its unusual shape as it grew taller and taller, its base growing wider and wider. With a loud clang, it rumbled to a halt. The only sound remaining was the trickling of water from what could only be assumed was the fountain of youth. Rose wrinkled her nose in confusion. She turned to see The Doctor's reaction, but it was unreadable.

"This is the fountain of youth?" She asked as she stared at the massive rusty metal structure before her. It was a tangled mess of pipes and taps that appeared to all by leaky. It wasn't so much a fountain as it was a plumber's nightmare.

"Of course it is!" The little man cried. "What else could it be?" He shook his head as he approached to stand beside them.

"This is your planet's plumbing system." The Doctor stated flatly. His eyes staring at the monstrosity before him. He turned his head sharply to look at the little man who seemed to jump a little at the intensity. "You're just the groundskeeper and maintenance man." Rose turned to look at him too, just as intense, only with a hint of annoyance.

"and you've killed many men over this?" She asked incredulously. The little man puffed out his chest proudly.

"This facility ensures that the entire planet get's running water! I can't have hooligans coming down her and vandalizing everything." Rose slapped a hand to her forehead and turned to The Doctor. "This is the most prestigious and coveted position on the entire planet, you know. I take it very seriously. The fountain is everything to my people."

"Let me guess, it doesn't give eternal youth?" Rose asked. The Doctor pursed his lips and didn't meet her eyes. He looked forward at the so-called fountain and studied its leaky taps.

"Water is the giver of life, as long as it flows there will always be life." The little man shrugged. "Eternal youth sounded better in the PR campaigns though." He pulled out a poster from somewhere in his robe and flashed it to them. It was a picture of him with his thumb up, holding a glass of water that said 'Drink water! Love life!'

"I had a bad feeling when I was reading those carvings along the way down." The Doctor sighed. "It was a sort of history on how the fountain was constructed." The little man nodded proudly.

"Carved that myself," He beamed. "Someday, people will want to know all about the original plumbing system. It was a great triumph for our people. Up there the conditions are harsh and unforgiving. We gave people their lives." The Doctor nodded his agreement politely.

"It may not be what we set out for, but it's always nice to see life-sustaining advancements." He turned to Rose and offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, got it wrong again." Rose smiled back, a soft and understanding smile.

"Not wrong, Doctor." She offered. "You just didn't have all the information. We're flying blind in this universe. We'll find it… somewhere in all of space and time, there's bound to be a real fountain of youth." He nodded, and together they turned to head for the exit.

"Wait-" The little man called to them. They paused and looked back over their shoulders at him. "You are seeking literal eternal youth, yes?" The Doctor slowly turned to face him. The little man looked around anxiously then hurried over to them. "I have heard of a man who holds the key to the secret of everlasting life." The Doctor furrowed his brow and crouched down so he could give the man his full attention. "He runs a night club planet in the sixth galaxy of Kard. They say he has an amulet that when worn keeps the wearer at whatever age they desire to be."

"How does that work exactly? Magic?" Rose asked as she leaned over The Doctor's shoulder.

"Don't be stupid." The little man scoffed. "It's superior technology. The man is a millionaire, he's invested all his money into the research and development so that he could always be young. Looks good when you run a business like that." The Doctor held his fist over his mouth thoughtfully as he took in the strange tale.

"How do we know what you're saying is true?" Rose crossed her arms and gave him a sour look. The Little man seemed slightly shaken by it.

"He is a well-known man in the galaxy. He is a human from Earth that has been running the planet for thousands of years and hasn't aged a day. How else could you explain that?" Rose bit her lip and exchanged a thoughtful look with The Doctor. They'd perfected their unspoken language of strong eye contact and subtle facial queues. The Doctor cleared his throat and looked back to the little man.

"This night club planet," He looked at the man seriously. "It's not BetaXXX, is it?" The little man nodded excitedly.

"That's the one! I've never been, but the stories…" He looked dreamily off into the distance.

"Have you been there, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Only to bust up a trafficking situation." He shrugged without looking at her. "Call me the Liam Neilson of space and time." He then turned and gave her a wink. The reference sailed over her head. "If what he says is true it will be the same man in charge as it was then…" He stood up tall and dusted off the front of his jacket casually. "How did you come by this information?" The Doctor asked as he turned his attention back to the man. His tone was skeptical.

"I have friends!" The little man spat defensively. "They travel, they share stories. We are not a primitive race, you know." The Doctor nodded then rose to his full height. "My friend Lupa went there for his seventy-third birthday, did body-shots off a Slorbian!" He spoke with great glee and clapped his hands. "Oh, how I wish I got vacations!" Rose looked upon the man with something between disgust and pity.

"Well, we've got our next heading." The Doctor smiled as he took Rose's hand in his.

"You really believe this guy?" She whispered, leaning in. The man continued to ramble about exciting stories from his friends.

"Not really…" He confessed. "Can't put much faith in rumors but… we've come this far." He shrugged. "What's the harm in checking it out?" Rose smiled and rubbed his hand with her thumb tenderly.

"You're sure you're not just going for the body shots?" Her eyes flicked up to meet his in a teasing way. He smiled, the same sort of flirty smile he'd given her a long time ago when she'd asked him to dance for the first time.

"Not my scene really." He shrugged. "But I'd let you have a go." Rose blushed and bit her lip. Then suddenly a realization hit her, and she blinked a few times. The little man had stopped talking. Rose turned to see him watching them like a creepy peeper with his jaw slack.

"Get a life!" She grumbled as she pushed him back with her foot. The man toppled backward and landed on his rear.

"My apologies!" He said hurriedly. "It's been so long since-"

"Don't need to know." Rose closed her eyes and held up her hands. "I can only imagine how lonely it gets with you and your pipes." With that Rose turned briskly towards the door and left. The Doctor gave a half-hearted apologetic smile and a nod before following her.

The little man sat dumbly on the ground for a few minutes. He listened as the two sets of footsteps and the light conversation from his random visitors faded away. A smile began to spread across his lips. He raised his arm and pulled back the sleeve to reveal a bulky sort of wristwatch. He tapped a few buttons and it started ringing.

"Hello?" A voice called from the small device.

"Yeah, it's Allen." The little man said excitedly into his watch.

"Who?!" The voice asked in annoyance.

"You know, from the fountain of youth?"

"ah, yes." The voice took on a more controlled tone. "What do you want?"

"Remember when you paid me all that money and told me if I ever ran into a strange couple of Earthlings looking for the fountain to tell them that story?"

"Yes, yes. Did they come?"

"Yeah!" Allen chirped excitedly. "Just as you said! A blonde and a man called 'Doctor'."

"Excellent!" The voice on the other end cheered.

"Hey, so like, if you ever need anything else I could totally come over to your planet and like-" The familiar blank tone of a hangup cut Allen off sharply. He paused dumbly with his mouth open. "Hello?…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why I felt like I needed such a strong Boosh presence in this fic... I knew early on I wanted to do something about the fountain of youth, I'd already done Earth so... this just happened.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what you're fighting for  
You better fly for your life  
It's just another disguise

BetaXXX had already given Rose a bad feeling before they had even arrived. The name alone sparked unsavory images. When they stepped out of the TARDIS, however, nothing she had imagined could possibly have compared. It was a tiny planet, more like a moon or an asteroid, really. It orbited around a much larger planet that The Doctor had explained was mostly uninhabited due to the raw primitive natural state it was in. There was no sun, so both the planet and BetaXXX were cast in permanent night. It was the perfect place to open a massive nightclub, it never had to close!

It seemed that the TARDIS had parked in the middle of everything, but it turned out that there was no place on the tiny planet where crowds weren't gathered. There was no rhyme or reason to anything. Space ships were parked here and there, wherever they could find a spot. The number of people at any given place, in any given moment, was stifling. Someone with claustrophobia would be in their living nightmare. Neon lights just barely made everything visible, and people were in a constant state of party. They danced, they drank, and they snogged. Large signs were erected of various bars that sat out under the open skies, bartenders worked busily handing out drinks and taking currency of all kinds.

There appeared to be different sections to the planet, different themes like at a Disney park. Some representing different planets, or potentially different genres of music. One section appeared to be Earth country, Rose shuttered to think country music would not only live on but travel into the universe. The only apparent building that could be seen was a two-story office style building with a large blinking neon sign with the planet's name on it, hopefully, that was where the staff did their work to keep the planet running.

"That's where we'll go." The Doctor spoke loudly by Rose's ear amongst the pulsing crowd. The music was insanely loud. Rose nodded and allowed The Doctor to pull her through the crowd by her hand. The closer they got to the building the grittier their environment got. Every single person they passed ran their hands along them in unwelcomely intimate ways. Rose kept her free arm snug against her and tried her best to avoid hands and eye contact. The Doctor didn't seem phased by all the attention, he just continued to push forward like a plough through the dirt.

Somewhere off to the side, a curious figure watched them pass from his seat at a nearby Earth themed bar. He tapped on his glass thoughtfully, his eyes following them as they pushed through the party-goers. Their obvious distaste for their surroundings made them stand out, and their quick movements signaled they were there for a purpose. The figure smiled. He quickly finished his drink and slammed the glass onto the counter with a resounding 'ah' before tossing a few coins out. With narrowed eyes locked onto The Doctor and Rose, the figure entered the crowd.

The Doctor and Rose had never gone anywhere quite like BetaXXX in their entire time together. The vibe all around them was both uncomfortable and exciting. Part of Rose wanted to run off into the crowd and just have fun, the other part of her was a fully realized adult who knew how dangerous these sorts of places could be. She stared wide-eyed at a long stage where several strippers of varying species did their routines. She glanced at The Doctor's back curiously, but he never once turned his head to look at them. No fun, Rose thought.

When they finally reached the building, the door was locked. The only way in was an ID scanner to the right of the door. Rose sighed and looked up the side of the building, she should have anticipated this. The Doctor patted his jacket pockets swiftly.

"Scuse me?" A female voice caused them both to turn around. A humanoid alien with bright pink skin, four insect-like eyes and three insanely massive exposed breasts holding a tray of drinks smiled at them politely. "Can I help you with something?"

"Ah, yes actually." The Doctor said as he fumbled in his pocket. "We've come to speak to the big man himself." He thrust forward his psychic paper at her and smiled. The large bug eyes scanned the paper briefly before offering an even bigger smile.

"Oh, yes of course!" She squeaked. "I should have guessed, you're an absolute throwback!" She looked at Rose as she spoke. "I'm just going to serve these drinks and I'll be right back."

"What did you show her?" She hissed.

"I'm your manager." He pursed his lips.

"What does that mean exactly?"

"I manage your talent." He shrugged and examined the door lock system.

"No," Rose threw her hands to her hips and leaned in. "You wouldn't dare." The Doctor turned his head to meet her wrathful gaze.

"You won't have to do anything, just get some information off the other… performers."

"And you?"

"They're going to send me in to negotiate your contract." He paused and glanced up at the building. "I hope, anyway."

"What do you mean, you hope, Doctor?" He didn't have a chance to respond, the server was back with free hands.

"Alright, I can take you backstage now." She beamed. Then she leaned forward to reach for the ID scanner. The Doctor leaned back awkwardly into Rose as the server's bare chest entered his personal space. She gave him a skeptical, but teasing look as he glanced over his shoulder at her.

"What?" He asked innocently.

"There you are, Doctor." The Server smiled as the door opened. "Just head down the hall, elevators on the right will take you to the second floor. That's his office." The Doctor nodded and gave Rose one last fleeting look. She was angry with him but offered a little smile anyway. He disappeared into the building and Rose was lead away by the busty waitress. Neither of them noticing the figure behind them that snuck in the door just as it was closing.

"What's your stage name?" The server asked politely.

"Rose." She answered dumbly, wishing she'd thought of something more creative than her own name.

"Oh gosh! That's genius! A primitive Earth flower!" The server clapped her hands together. "You've got your whole shtick locked down! It's been so long since we've had an honest to goodness vintage entertainer. Blonde Earthling? What a classic."

"Yeah, that's what I was going for." Rose lied and tried to smile. "What's your name?"

"Yelza." The server replied. "I don't perform. Just drinks so I use my real name. Some of the other servers like to use fake names too… just in case they go onto something else but… they never do." She shrugged and gave a big smile. "I'm feeling this look too, are those really from Earth?" Rose looked down, she was in a loose grey vest top with her blue zip-up jumper tied around her waist snuggly, a pair of black tights that compressed the new weight she'd been feeling self-conscious about and bright white track shoes. Her hair was in a sloppy but perky ponytail with strands falling around her face recklessly.

"Oh, yeah." She answered. "Try to stay in character, you know?" Yelza nodded excitedly.

"So method! I love it! I can't wait to see you perform, the crowd is going to go NUTS." Rose bit her lip anxiously.

\----

Inside the building, The Doctor made his way casually down the long brightly lit hallway. His hands were in his pockets and he whistled a merry tune, stopping every few seconds to try a closed door. Nothing too exciting was behind any of them, seemed to be prop storage and break room thus far. Then he reached a door that was locked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his sonic screwdriver.

"Hi. Need some help there?" A voice caused The Doctor to startle ever so slightly, he wasn't used to people sneaking up on him effectively.

"No thanks!" He didn't bother to look up, just continued to work on the lock.

"You, uh, don't seem like you're from around here…" The voice came again, there was a smooth charming quality to it, almost familiar even… "Gotta say though, love a man in leather." The Doctor jerked his head up in recognition. He flicked his screwdriver into his pocket and turned. The man was leaned against the wall in a casual manner, his arms crossed and a dazzling smile spread across his face.

"Oh no, not you." The Doctor groaned. The other man's smile fell suddenly, he took on a much darker serious look.

"You know me?" He asked.

"Wish I didn't." The Doctor replied as he turned the knob to the door he'd been working on.

"How do you know me?" The man stepped forward with a strange urgency. The Doctor turned and regarded him with vague curiosity.

"Has Rose seen you yet?"

"Who?" The man looked confused. The Doctor nodded with a smile, then suddenly yanked the door open to reveal a broom closet. The man glanced in, giving The Doctor the chance to shove him harshly inside and slam the door. "Hey!" The man cried angrily.

"Sorry Jackie-boy," The Doctor called through the door as he locked it. "That's for clocking me and leaving me in the rain that time!" He turned to head to the elevators, then stopped and with a big sigh, walked back. "No. Sorry. Water under the bridge. It's a bad time now, I don't want Rose picking up her usual strays. She gets all glassy-eyed and 'please Doctor' and next thing you know, I'm the one looking after them, they end up brutally mutilated at the hands of a Boogeyman, and it takes her a month to recover. You understand."

"Let me out!" Captain Jack Harkness demanded from the other side of the door. The Doctor jumped back as he pounded against the door. "You've got to tell me how you know me!"

"Sorry!" The Doctor said honestly before he took off again. "It's just not a good time!" Once inside the elevator, he felt a tinge of regret for his old companion. He liked Jack, but there was too much going on now for him to try to handle that whole mess. This Jack had never met Rose or The Doctor, and Rose was just starting to get over the loss of Liz. Jack returning at this point had the potential to be another heartbreak.

\----

Rose sat between two performers that were both doing their makeup as if their faces were works of art. She couldn't help herself but to stare, they were stunning. Their height dwarfed Rose and made her feel like a child sitting amongst women. One of them had six arms and teased her big blonde hair as she perfected her eye-liner around cat-like eyes. The other had dark scales and a tail that swished excitedly whenever she'd pause to admire her handy work. Rose sat awkwardly between them and glanced at her own reflection. She was plain and boring compared to such colourful characters, but that wasn't the point of her being there. She cleared her throat and leaned forward in her chair.

"How long have you ladies been here?" She asked politely as she reached for the makeup that was provided for the performers. Her eyes scanned over some curious things before settling for what looked like eyeshadow.

"Four years." The lizard woman sighed.

"Eight for me." The other woman responded. She leaned back and examined her face proudly.

"You like it here?" Rose asked as she dabbed on the eye-shadow with her finger. The lizard woman caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye and observed her as if she were standing on her head. She handed Rose a brush swiftly.

"We don't really get a choice." She answered dryly. Rose frowned and took the brush.

"Oh, but I thought everyone was here by their own accord?" The girls both laughed at her in a light condescending way. "Wasn't the trafficking ring busted?" The girls looked at each other, then down at Rose.

"Honey, there are other ways of enslavement." The girl with six arms sighed. "Are you here because you want to be?"

"Well, no, I-"

"Mhm." Both girls hummed in unison.

"What's the story with the owner then?" Rose tried again. "I heard rumors he's got the secret to staying young forever." The girls looked at each other again with curious looks.

"Who told you that?"

"Just a rumor going around." Rose shrugged and proceeded to her other eye.

"I never heard that rumor, have you Shadow?" The lizard woman shook her head and looked down at Rose.

"Someone's giving you misinformation, honey." She patted Rose on the head like a dog. Rose frowned at herself in the mirror. An ill-feeling crept up her spine and made her want to run. "Oh now look, Miss Sugar." The lizard woman, Shadow, sighed. "She's been painting for the small town gigs." Rose looked up her then back at her reflection. Her makeup looked considerably good for Earth standards. The other woman, Sugar, spun in her chair and tutted.

"Oh, girl…" She sighed. "Now we know you're going for a whole vintage Earth vibe, but this is the big time. Your face is going to disappear under those lights." Shadow nodded her agreement. The women looked at each other and nodded decidedly. "Look, you seem like a nice girl, can we help you with this?" Rose looked confused.

"You're makeup, Honey." Shadow gestured a long-clawed hand at Rose's face.

"Oh, I don't know…" She said nervously. She looked around for the nearest escape route. Something wasn't right, she needed to find The Doctor and let him know they'd gotten a bad tip. Most importantly, she needed to get away before she was forced to perform.

"This place is like family," Sugar explained. "No one will sabotage you here. There is enough stage and enough night for everyone. We all make our tips and we all get our time." Shadow nodded in agreement. Rose bit her lip anxiously, then gave a nod. The two girls clapped and went to work.

"So what brought you here in the first place?" Shadow asked as she wiped away the work Rose had already done.

"My mate and I-" She began then realized the truth might not be the best right now. "We were looking for work. Times is hard in the uh… Earth Empire…" She tried to remember what time period The Doctor had said they were in, she took a shot in the dark and hoped that the girls didn't know their Earth history. They both nodded sympathetically, and Rose let out the nervous breath she'd been holding.

"Times were hard on my planet too, it was really war-torn." Sugar explained. "I managed to escape with one of the evacuation vessels in the early days before my planet was wiped out completely." She looked sad. "My parents were still on that planet." Shadow reached out and patted her on the shoulder, for which Sugar gave a grateful smile.

"I'm so sorry." Rose offered quietly.

"The worst part about it, that wasn't even our war! We were just victims of proximity." Rose gulped roughly as she began to feel the familiarity of Sugar's story weighing on her mind.

"My egg was discovered by a trafficker." Shadow shrugged, feeling it was her time to share. "I've known no other life than this."

"That's terrible," Rose said quietly. "Did you get free of him?"

"I did," Shadow confirmed. "I manage myself now." She tried to look proud. "Meeting Sugar was probably the highlight of my life." Sugar smiled at her warmly. "We started performing together and I actually started to enjoy it. We have a lot of fun now!" Rose couldn't help but smile too. Despite all the hardships and the rough lives they lead, they could depend on their friendship to keep them in high spirits. It warmed her heart that they extended that kindness to her, a nobody that just rolled in at the last second.

"What do you think?" Sugar moved out of the way and allowed Rose to see her own reflection. She had never been more done up in her entire life, and she'd always been a fan of heavy liner. She glittered fabulously at every angle, it was like the girls had given her a different face.

"I look like a drag queen." She remarked whimsically as she leaned in and smiled at herself in the mirror.

"Oh Mary, you wish." A sassy male voice called from behind. Rose raised an embarrassed hand to her mouth and the other girls laughed hysterically.

"High praise, we'll take it!" Sugar giggled.

\----

The elevator doors slid open slowly to reveal a large empty office. The Doctor took an exaggerated step out, his hands folded behind his back as he observed his surroundings. There were massive windows all around the room, showcasing every bit of the eternal night empire this mystery man had built himself. In the centre of the room at the far end was a large desk with a large leather chair behind it. To one side of the room, there was a bar with rock glasses waiting to be filled, to the other side, there was a couch and chairs for more informal conversations. The Doctor casually made his way over to the desk and took a peek at the documents sitting there. He sunk down into the leather chair and rocked slightly as he sifted through the papers. Mostly they were inventory orders, bills for costumes and alcohol, boring and predictable stuff. One paper, however, caught The Doctor's interest. It was a bill for weapons and technology from a corporation the Doctor knew well. It gave him an ill-feeling.

Suddenly, the sound of a door sliding open caught The Doctor's attention. Only, the elevator doors remained closed. The Doctor furrowed his brow and looked around the room, then decided to spin his chair. Standing before him was probably the most adequate Burt Reynolds knock off he'd ever witnessed. He looked down on The Doctor with a curious expression, a smoldering cigar perched between his lips. His powerful mustache bringing full attention from the rest of his bronzed features.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked arrogantly.

"The Doctor, who are you?" The Doctor folded his hands over his stomach as he swiveled slightly in the leather chair.

"The man who's arse belongs in that chair." The man responded gruffly. "Ed Springsteen."

"Springsteen?" The Doctor let out a loud laugh. "You know Bruce?"

"Everyone knows Bruce." The man spat. "No relation!" He pulled the cigar out of his mouth. "Why are you in my office, and why are you in my chair?" The Doctor glanced back at the desk thoughtfully. He continued to swivel until Ed sprung his hand out and halted the chair's movements.

"Came to have a chat." The Doctor smiled and lifted himself from the chair. He moved with smooth confidence as he neared the window. "Heard some rumors about this place."

"What are you, a cop?" Ed asked, making his way over to the bar. He poured himself a drink and slammed it back.

"None for me, thanks." The Doctor said without turning around to look. Ed had no intention of pouring The Doctor a drink, and the assumption that he had made him irritated.

"The Doctor, you say?" He asked as he filled his glass again. "Sounds vaguely familiar."

"Does it?" The Doctor asked curiously, but his body language didn't appear to reveal he was surprised or all that interested. His eyes were locked on the crowd below.

"Yeah…" Ed leaned on the edge of his desk and pointed a finger from the hand that held his glass. "Aren't you the guy that shut me down in seventy-nine?" The Doctor turned his head slightly so all Ed could see was his grinning profile.

"Awe, you remember."

"I remember you looking a bit different back then," Ed stroked his chin. "Curly hair maybe…"

"People change as they age," The Doctor shrugged. "Except you, I hear…" He turned confidently to face Ed. "How can that be?" Ed grinned. He looked down at his empty glass, then turned to set it on his desk. He let out a little laugh.

"They said you'd come." He said, the smile still spread across his lips.

"Who did?" The Doctor asked in a tone that verged on dangerous.

"Where's the girl?" Ed asked casually.

"There is no girl." The Doctor replied darkly.

"Don't bother, Doctor," Ed smirked. "I know all about Rose Tyler." The Doctor twitched slightly at the new information. "I know all about your little 'quest' is it?"

"That's impossible."

"Is it?" Ed stood up and sauntered over to where The Doctor stood. "How could I possibly remember you when you never existed in this universe?" The Doctor's wide eyes betrayed him. Ed grinned. "Where is she, Doctor?" He studied the Time-Lord's face with a sick curiosity. The Doctor stared down into the crowd. "Is she down there?" Ed pointed towards the ground but The Doctor didn't answer. "Good, we'll find her then. Her and the TARDIS." The Doctor remained unresponsive. "I have been waiting so long for this moment. Hundreds, thousands of years for this." Ed sauntered away from The Doctor as he broke out into his monologue. "Don't you see? This whole stinking show, it's all for you. The clubs, the dancers, they pay the bills and keep our true operation concealed." Ed popped the cigar back into his mouth and pulled a box of matches from his top desk drawer. "You're probably wondering what that is? I know you are. You're an investigator by nature." He lit the match and puffed his cigar several times before waving out the match, then he approached The Doctor again. "I'd love to show you. I'd love to see the horror on your face." He leaned in close. "The horror when you realize everything was for nothing." A smile sprawled across his face, then it vanished. "But unfortunately, those aren't my instructions." He stepped away from The Doctor again. "I was told I can't even give you a glimmer of information." The Doctor listened carefully as Ed slowly retrieved something from under his suit jacket. He ducked to the side at lightning speed as two shots from a laser gun shattered the glass window. "Now don't be like that, Doctor."

"Who do you work for?" The Doctor demanded as he narrowly rolled out of the way of two more shots. They burnt intimidating holes into the carpet.

"You know I can't say," Ed replied in an almost disappointed tone. The Doctor leaped behind the desk just as another shot hit the corner and splintered the wood. "There is nowhere on this asteroid that you can go, my men have already been alerted." He circled around the desk carefully, but The Doctor was no longer there. He bent slightly to look underneath the desk, that was when The Doctor jumped out from the other side and tackled him. The two men hit the ground with a thud and wrestled for dominance. The Doctor gripped for the gun with one hand and used the other to smash his palm into Ed's face. Ed clawed at The Doctor with his free hand and attempted to stretch the other out of his grip. He accidentally fired two shots through the ceiling and bits of debris crashed down onto them.

"I think I have a right to know who wants me dead!" The Doctor groaned as Ed was beginning to get the upper hand. He thrust his knee up into The Doctor's gut and rolled him off.

"Everyone wants you dead, what does it matter?" Ed groaned back as he attempted to loosen The Doctor's grip from his arm. The Doctor raised his free hand and balled it into a fist and began laying into the mustached mug over and over until blood began to drip out.

"Why would they go to all this trouble to lure us here if they were just going to kill me?!" He asked angrily just before Ed laid out a hard hook into The Doctor's Jaw. It sent him reeling back, but it was only a distraction. The Doctor brought his leg forward and kicked hard at Ed's hand. The gun fired into the wall as it flung from Ed's grasp. The Doctor scrambled to climb over Ed, but he gripped onto the Time Lord's legs and pulled him down. The Doctor reached desperately for the gun. It was just beyond his fingertips.

\----

"No I'm telling you, I can't go on," Rose said anxiously to the stage director who was having none of it. She was dressed in a very classic Earth showgirl outfit, complete with feathers, corset, and glitz. She'd let things go too far and had forgotten to bale out at the last second. Sugar and Shadow had been so friendly and helpful, she'd hardly noticed what was happening. "I can't strip for these people!"

"Don't be a Diva, there's no room for that here." The director shouted over the music. "You want me to call the bouncers and have them take you out?" Rose bit her lip and looked at the faces of people listening in. They gave her enough reason to believe that was much worse than performing. She shook her head submissively. "Good." The manager nodded. "Now, you're on in five. Tell the sound guys what song you want and so help me, girl, get into it!" He swatted Rose on the arse and walked away.

"Bloody hell." Rose groaned as she rubbed her battered arse cheek. "I am going to kill The Doctor!"

\----

The Doctor's body crashed onto the desk hard, splitting it in half. His face was bruised and bloody, much like his opponent. Ed stepped back and reached for one of his chairs, he held it over his head as he prepared to slam it down hard onto The Doctor's body.

"Don't be so vain." Ed spat. "It was never really about you Doctor." The Doctor stared up with wide eyes, then threw his legs up and somersaulted out of the way. The chair crashed down onto the desk with a heavy crash. The Doctor bolted for the gun again, but Ed jumped forward and clobbered him. They rolled aggressively through the debris as they fought for dominance. Ed bit The Doctor's ear causing him to scream out and lay a hard punch to the man's gut. The Doctor rolled away and jumped to his feet.

"You bit my ear!" The Doctor was aghast. He clutched his ear tenderly as he looked down at Ed who was clutching his stomach.

\----

Rose had to be clever. She needed to think of a way to get out of stripping but still be entertaining. Her mind frantically scanned for any helpful memories. The idea of a burlesque performance dawned on her, but she'd never actually seen one done before. Then something suddenly came to mind, maybe she had seen one before… in fact, maybe she had the perfect routine. She smiled to herself childishly and ran over to the sound guy to whisper in his ear.

"And now, a little vintage Earth flavor for you…" A voice boomed over the crowd and the people whooped in excitement. All the light went out except one spotlight at the centre rear of the stage. Rose bit at her fingers, this had to be the dumbest predicament The Doctor had ever gotten her in. She was frozen to the back of the stage praying at any moment he would sweep in and tell her she didn't need to go on. A fellow performer quickly shoved her forward, causing her to stumble out into the light. The whooping began to start again. Rose could hear the faint beats from the other parts of the club. Then her chosen music came on.

The sound of an old piano filled the speakers. Everyone stared blankly at her, preparing for the inevitable boo that was about to come… but as the words came, and Rose synched her mouth to them, the crowd remained at ease. They wanted 'vintage Earth'? They were going to get it.

"Dearest friends, dear gentlemen, listen to my song… life down here's been hard for you, life has made you strong." Rose took a deep breath and prepared herself to get into character. "Let me lift the mood, with my attitude…" She then grinned cheekily as the song picked up. A few people hooped and the lights brightened a little. "Hey fellas! The time is right! Get ready, tonights the night!" The crowd cheered and Rose found herself smiling a little. She was about to pull this thing off, with a jam from one of her childhood favourites, Great Mouse Detective. "Boys, what you're hopin' for will come true… Let me be good to you." She said the last words in a cutesy voice and started to find the experience a bit empowering as the crowed hooped and hollered.

"You tough guys-"

A punch swiftly missed The Doctors face as he ducked to the side. He lunged forward and planted his own fist firmly into Ed's jaw causing him to stumble backward.

"You're feelin' all alone."

Ed lurched forward and gut-punched The Doctor hard, sending him toppling backward. Ed turned to head for the gun again but The Doctor grabbed his legs and pulled him down.

"You rough guys, The best o' you sailors and bums. All o' my chums!"

Ed kicked furiously as The Doctor clung to his legs. Several kicks catching him in the chest.

"So dream on, and drink your beer."

The Doctor managed to get to his knees as he tugged hard on Ed's legs and pulled him back. He bounced to his feet and made to charge forward for the gun, but this time Ed caught him by the legs.

"Get cozy, your baby's here."

The Doctor attempted to shake him off but Ed clung like a leach. The Doctor turned his body and kicked the man hard in the face. Ed released him and The Doctor charged forward for the gun, but in his haste, he kicked it and it ricocheted off the wall and towards Ed.

"You won't be misunderstood, let me be good to you!" The piano music got louder as the crowd got rowdier.

Ed pulled himself up slowly and wiped the blood from his nose. The gun shaky in his right hand. He laughed, slowly at first, but then hysterically. He raised the gun up.

"Hey Fellas! I'll take off all my blues!" Rose pulled off her large feather headpiece and tossed it into the crowd to many cheers. She shook her blond her out and the crowd cheered louder.

"So retro." Yelza sighed as she watched from the crowd. She hugged her empty drink tray and cheered.

Ed turned to take a glance out the shattered window. Right below him, he could see Rose performing her number. He gave a sick smile and turned back to The Doctor.

"Smart, Doctor." He chuckled. "Get her in with the dancers." He craned his arm around from The Doctor to Rose down below. "Guess you didn't expect anyone to recognize her." For the first time, The Doctor's face showed fear.

"Hey fellas, there's nothin' I won't do, just for you!" The crowd roared at Rose's suggestive gestures.

The Doctor charged forward in a fit of pure adrenaline. Ed didn't have a second to react. The Doctor ploughed into his body with such force that the two men flew out the window. The gun went off and hit the stage just shy of where Rose was standing. She squealed and looked up just in time to see The Doctor plummeting towards here.

"Doctor!" She screamed and pointed. The music cut suddenly and the entire crowd turned to look at what she was looking at. The two bodies hit the stage hard, the wood splintered slightly under their weight.

The crowd began to scream and people started to run frantically. Rose bolted forward without thinking. For some reason, smoke was pouring out from the crash, and Rose fanned it away as she tried to locate The Doctor. When she did find him, she gasped with freight, his face was a mess! She immediately began to pull him away from the other man who seemed to be the cause of all the smoke.

"Doctor? Doctor?" Rose checked for vitals and found he had a pulse. She tapped his cheek lightly but it didn't appear to be doing the trick. Part of her was terrified that he might regenerate, but she wasn't sure why. "Doctor, come on!" She pinched his nose roughly, causing the poor man to jolt to up in a gasp.

"Oi!" He shouted and reached for his nose. "I got enough from him, do you mind?" Rose laughed and bent over to kiss him tenderly.

"Thank God you're alive." She sighed. The Doctor lifted himself up and glanced back at the smoking body of Ed. Under closer inspection, he could now see wires and sparks emitting from the torso. The head had somehow disconnected from the body and was twitching strangely. Rose looked horrified, instantly reminded of Liz. She gripped onto The Doctor tightly and turned her face away.

"So much for eternal youth." The Doctor groaned.

"Rose! Are you alright!" Sugar and Shadow burst out onto the stage, now flooded in proper lights. The patrons had all runoff, and a maintenance crew was on its way over. Rose glanced over her shoulder at them.

"Fine, thanks!" She smiled.

"What happened?" Sugar asked, her mouth hidden by her balled fists.

"Is that Mr. Springsteen?!" Shadow asked, her mouth wide.

"Was. Maybe a long time ago." The Doctor answered. Who knows if there was ever a real Mr. Springsteen." He smiled at Rose. "Between you and me though, I wasn't buying it with a name like that. No one gets to be Springsteen." Rose gave a little smile.

"Who are you?" Shadow asked skeptically. "Rose this can't be the friend you were talking about?" Rose looked back and smiled.

"It is…" she confessed. "Only we didn't come here for work."

"Obviously." Sugar said harshly as she gave The Doctor a once over.

"Easy now, I didn't look half bad before I was beaten to a pulp." The Doctor defended. "Right Rose?" She smiled and nodded, then stood up to address the girls properly.

"The truth is, we came here because we heard this guy had something we wanted." Rose gestured to the smoking corpse behind her. The Doctor struggled to get to his feet, but when he did he stood beside Rose.

"Only it was a trap." Rose looked up at him, and now he spoke only to her. "They were trying to lure us here to kill me."

"Who?" Rose and the girls asked in unison. The Doctor looked at the other two before locking his eyes back onto Rose's.

"I'm not sure. I never got that out of him…" He looked around at the party-goers still having a good time in the distance and the line of bouncers that held anyone from coming closer to the stage they occupied. "This whole world is just a front for something… something massive, he said that much. But why bring me here when there's a chance I could stop it, why take that risk to try and kill me here?" His eyes fell to Rose thoughtfully. She looked confused and a little frightened.

"What makes you so important?" Sugar asked in genuine curiosity.

"He just is," Rose answered proudly before he was able to say what Ed had already confirmed. "He's the most important man in the universe." She smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to prop him up. "So what do we do now, Doctor?"

"First," He lifted a battered hand with split knuckles to her cheek and ran his thumb across it, then inspected his thumb. "We get whatever that is off your face." Rose laughed. "Then we're going to fix me up, so I can look handsome while I save the world." He glanced back at Sugar and Shadow and winked at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from summary: "Fly for your" Life by Gunship.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our time is running out

A quick trip back to the TARDIS provided a warm shower and trip to the infirmary. Rose had slid on a fresh pair of black tights, and a matching sports bra and zip-up running top. It made her think of her time with Torchwood, athletic wear had become her life. There was no telling what they were about to get into, but this time around she wasn't an inexperienced teenager. She had years on her now, lots of life-threatening situations and alien to thwart. Whatever the future held, she knew it would be serious. The Doctor had made that much clear.

Rose paused briefly as she made to leave the room. Her hand hovered over the door handle. She turned slowly to look at her night table where the ominous chest sat obediently. With a deep breath, she walked over to it. Jude told her she would know when it was the time, her heart pounded as she lifted the chest in her hand. This had to be the time. She reached for a small bag and put the chest inside, praying she wouldn't have to open it, then she slipped the bag onto her shoulder and headed out the door.

She met The Doctor in the infirmary, where he was still working on the gash to his ear. The rest of his face appeared to be back to normal. He glanced up at her briefly as she entered the room, but his focus was elsewhere. Maybe on his current task, or maybe it was on the mystery before them. Rose took a seat next to him on the battered old dentist's chair.

"He really did a number on you," Rose remarked as she leaned forward to get a better look.

"He bit my ear!" The Doctor still couldn't believe it. "Who does something like that?"

"Mike Tyson." Rose shrugged. The Doctor pulled the strange device from his head and felt his ear.

"How do I look?" He asked, satisfied with the feel of it.

"Good." Rose nodded.

"What, that's all I get?" He asked with a hint of disappointment. "Who knows what the hell we're walking into, you're doing a striptease for a hundred aliens, and all I get for my troubles is 'good'." Rose laughed and leaned in for a hug.

"You told them I was an entertainer." She reminded him. "You did that to me."

"I figured you were clever enough to worm your way out of it."

"Insulting me will do nothing for you, Doctor." Rose leaned in and kissed him lightly on the nose. The Doctor stared at her, affection and longing in his cool blue eyes. He raised his hand to cup her cheek, as he often did, then leaned in to kiss her gently. It was sweet and full of sorrow, almost like a kiss goodbye. Rose pulled back and gave his face a quizzical once over. "What's going on then, Doctor?" She asked quietly. "You normally run into every life-threatening situation headfirst, no pause for regrouping or bandaging up." The Doctor looked down, and his hand slid from her cheek.

"Guess I've changed." He said softly. "Don't want to make the same mistakes…"

"You won't." Rose took his hands firmly in hers. "Things are different now. I'm different now." He brought his eyes up to meet hers and she smiled. He didn't return it.

"There's something much bigger going on here." He said lowly. "I could feel it all along, from the beginning… something following us, guiding us. I tried to ignore it, tried to tell myself it was paranoia or PTSD from BadWolf…" Rose gulped anxiously. "Liz only confirmed my suspicions. Everything she did with us seemed planned…" Rose could feel her blood run cold. Her heart began to pound heavily as she regretted ever keeping secrets. "It's obvious to me now that whoever planted her also planted Ed. We've been puppets to them all the way along."

"Are you sure?" Rose asked timidly.

"Certain of it."

"Why wouldn't Liz have killed you when she had the chance? Why did it have to be Ed?" The Doctor shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"There is a reason. We had to follow the bread crumbs… I just can't see why yet." Rose bit her lip. She wanted to tell him everything, about Jude and the box… but now she feared his reaction. He wouldn't be able to trust her. They only had each other in that whole universe and she'd been keeping secrets. "I'm a big enough man to admit…" The Doctor took a deep breath. "I'm afraid, Rose." Rose pursed her lips as his palm raised to cup her cheek tenderly once more. "I'm afraid to lose you again. I'm afraid to charge in there, guns blazing because there is always a chance I could lose you. I never want to see you slip from my grasp again. I'd rather the universe implode."

"Don't talk like that, Doctor," Rose said firmly. "I don't plan on dying today." The Doctor offered a faint smile and Rose began to feel herself again. "But," Rose looked off to the side in an innocent manner. "In the off chance something does happen, maybe we should take a minute for us?" She reached for the zipper of her form-fitting running top and slowly pulled it all the way down. The Doctor watched her fingers move with careful detail, then when the zipper was released, his eyes flicked up to meet hers again. Rose looked at him with wide inviting eyes, and he didn't need any more than that.

With the reflexes of a tiger, The Doctor leaned in and captured Rose's lips roughly with his own. His hands blindly pulled at her top till it freed the bare skin of her shoulders. His hand ran softly down the skin of her arms as his kisses moved down her jaw and into the nape of her neck. Rose gasped and squirmed at the sensation. The Doctor then removed his own jacket and tossed it to the ground unceremoniously, Rose began to tug at the bottom of his shirt. There was an unspoken urgency to their action. An understanding that this could very well be the last time, but they didn't need to say it flat out. They didn't need to spoil the moment. Rose pushed The Doctor back roughly as she began to quickly undress. Taking his queue The Doctor did the same. There, on that dingy battered old dentist chair where they had found each other again, two became one. It was rushed and intense, it was passionate and hungry. If it were to be the last time, let it be worth it.

When all was said and done, the two just held each other. Naked, sweaty, and panting like dogs. The Doctor held Rose curled in his arms, the chair at its full recline. Her eyes were closed but she wasn't sleeping, just taking in the moment. Just enjoying the calm before the storm. The Doctor sighed as he thought about the storm as well. The name given to him by his enemies. Would that be him tonight?

"We could just disappear you know." The Doctor whispered softly.

"You've said that to me that before." Rose tilted her head up to look at him. "My answer stays the same." The Doctor pursed his lips and nodded. "Whatever this is, we end it now. Together." She reached up and pressed her lips to his once more.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before you save me  
Just wait your turn  
Look at me now  
Steady as we burn

The crowd was just as thick as it had been before, and the stage that had been destroyed by Ed was already under reconstruction. The party-goers didn't seem to notice or mind. The Doctor pushed through the crowd with a dangerously serious expression. Upon seeing him, people were quick to step out of his way. Rose trailed behind him, less intimidating, but equally as serious. Her hand clutched the string of the bag hanging over her shoulder and her thoughts were focused on what could happen next.

When they approached the entrance to the building that the Doctor had gone into before they found the door to be wide open. Staff was running in and out, frazzled by the lack of a leader. One man spoke frantically into a headset as he passed The Doctor, talking about deliveries and how it wasn't his job to know what was ordered. He ignored him and stepped into the building as if he belonged there. No one seemed to question them as they brushed past.

"What happened here?" Rose asked curiously as they approached a closet door that looked like it had been kicked off its hinges roughly. "This your work?"

"We'll deal with that when we get to it." The Doctor muttered and kept moving.

When they did arrive at Ed's office they found it swarmed with security. They were buzzing around asking each other questions and investigating the broken furniture. Rose bit her lip anxiously and looked up at The Doctor, but he seemed completely unfazed. He stepped confidently into the room and several people turned to look at him.

"Who are you?" A nearby security officer asked him. "This is a crime scene, you'll have to leave."

"Ah, we're the forensics team." The Doctor replied as he pulled out his psychic paper and flashed it quickly to the officer. "Could you be a lamb and clear the room? We need to get to work. All these bodies are effecting the forensic evidence." The officer gulped and nodded nervously. Clearly, the asteroid night club was lacking in any real crime unit, and the men there were ever so clearly out of their depth. It seemed everyone employed by their false figure-head was selected for their lack of effort. No one wanted to be the one responsible.

"Yes sir, right away." He turned and addressed the rest of the room. "Right, team? We have to clear the room. Try not to touch anything on your way out." He turned back to The Doctor and stood at attention. The Doctor just gave him a smile and stepped out of the way for the other officers to walk out. Once they were all gone, Rose closed the door.

"Clever," She commented as The Doctor walked over to the bookshelf casually.

"Not really," The Doctor shrugged. "They were dying to pass the buck. All playing pretend, that lot. Sad really."

"What exactly do we do now?" Without a word, The Doctor pulled the bookshelf out to reveal it was a secret door. "Right." Rose smiled as he held the secret door open for her politely. "Do you know where it goes?" She stepped through the door and into a thin, but extremely long, corridor.

"Not exactly," The Doctor replied following her. "But I imagine right into the hands of whoever wants us dead." A line of fluorescent lights began to ignite one after the other all the way down the hallway. It created an ominous feeling that made Rose shiver.

"Great."

The corridor was tight, so The Doctor took the lead as they ventured down. Further and further they went. The light from above bounced off the metal walls and floors creating a very spacious effect, but it didn't distract from the tightness of the walls. Eventually, without much warning for Rose, they reached the end and were faced with another lift door, this one made of glass. The Doctor pushed the button and the door immediately opened. The two stepped inside and the doors shut again.

"Guess you can only go down…" Rose pointed at the limited options for floors. She pushed the button and they waited. The elevator moved slowly. They stared at the lights that passed, judging them to come about every second. Rose clicked her tongue in the silence, half wondering why an elevator would have glass doors if there was nothing to see. She glanced over at The Doctor who appeared to be deep in thought. His eyes reflecting the lights as they passed. She knew he had to be trying to solve the mystery, every fiber of her being longed to give him whatever information he was lacking. Perhaps if she just confessed and told him everything it would help solve everything and they could come up with a plan. How could it hurt at this point? Rose took a deep breath, she had to tell him. She reached a hand out slowly to touch his sleeve, then suddenly it went completely dark. There was silence, and then just as suddenly as the darkness came it lifted, revealing a massive underground factory.

Both Rose and The Doctor jumped back in shock as the image became clear. Her hand clenched onto the leather of his sleeve as their hearts raced at unhealthy speeds. This was no normal factory, it was on a massive scale the likes of which Rose had never seen before. It just kept going and going, the end disappearing in the haze of steam from the ghastly alien machines. Machines and conveyer belts that moved efficiently as they constructed their products. Sparks flew, lights flashed, metal was formed and soldered together to create something monstrous, something from their nightmares. The blood in Rose's veins seemed to grow cold as her eyes desperately flicked over to The Doctor. Her breathing was heavy and audible as her chest heaved. It was the face crack of the century. His back was pressed against the wall and his eyes were wide with horror and sadness like Rose had never known. She turned back to the window, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as her mouth sputtered out words without any thought.

"My God… it's a Dalek factory."

Below them, the armor was being assembled piece by piece. Large robotic arms applied eye stalks, and arms that looked like plungers and whisks. In the distance, strange pods sat row upon row and stacked just as high. The lift plunged downward showing multiple levels of Dalek development. Then the lift passed through the floor once again and stopped at another long hallway, similar to the one at the top. The doors slid open and Rose stepped off hesitantly, her body trembling with terror and adrenaline. The Doctor took two shaky steps forward off the lift then fell to his knees.

"Doctor!" Rose gasped as she dropped to her own knees to aid him.

"It was all for nothing," He muttered in a detached tone. "I should have known it would turn out the same… I should have known there can be no happy ending." Rose gripped onto his shaking hands firmly. "I'm meant to die alone. It's my punishment. It's what I deserve."

"Snap out of it, Doctor." Rose hissed in a frantic manner as she shook his hands anxiously. "We've got to think of something! you're the clever one, you always get out us out! You can't just give up." He didn't look at her.

"New universe… same ending…" The Doctor muttered distantly.

"Not really! This time we're both gonna die!" Rose tried anxiously as she gripped onto his jacket and shook him a little roughly. He remained unresponsive. Rose clapped her hands over her face and let out a strangled cry of frustration and panic. She needed to cool down, she needed to think. The Doctor was having a meltdown, she couldn't have one too. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She tried to remind herself that she had faced many horrible things and was a borderline expert in crisis management from many years with Torchwood. Breathing in and out slowly she began to calm, and thoughts started to develop. "New universe…" She echoed thoughtfully as her hands slid from her face. "A universe that had no Doctor, and yet…" She let out a sigh. "So many pieces but I can't see how they fit… that's usually your job." Rose bit her lip anxiously, a serious debate went on inside her mind. It was the worst possible time to drop this huge secret on him… or maybe it was the perfect time. "Doctor, I have to tell you something very important, you need to listen, alright? You need to hear me now because it could be the difference between a plan coming together or just giving up and dying." She took a deep breath then stood up to pace a few times. The Doctor had not moved or blinked. "I really don't want to upset you, but I've been keeping something from you… something potentially huge and life-threatening and I'm not sure why I didn't just tell you in the first place." She clasped her hands together nervously. "I'm just a stupid ape, I know, you're right. I should have told you right from the start but I'm not as clever as you and- Oh, you're going to be so upset with me- but not just now, you can't be mad now." The Doctor's brow furrowed slowly as he recognized the words coming out of her mouth. His eyes began to focus, they drifted upwards and locked onto Rose's. "I mean, looking back it seems obvious but… My gut told me to trust him and-"

"Trust who?" The Doctor interrupted his face firm with a hint of betrayal. Rose took a deep breath to calm herself from speaking too quickly.

"Back at the market, when you were searching for my wallet, I strange man in a cloak warned me that something horrible was coming and I'd need to be prepared. He told me not to tell you." The Doctor jumped to his feet and swiftly approached Rose, coming close enough to unnerve her as she continued to explain. His face was serious and pensive, his eyes were burning holes through her own. She didn't step back, instead, she looked to the side as she continued. "…I saw him again on Botania. He was the one who repaired Liz, freed me, and blew up the tower…" The Doctor broke his stare and cast a glance angrily at the ceiling before taking a step back and rubbing his face.

"I knew you were hiding something that day…" He muttered under his hand. Rose nodded shamefully. When his hand fell the look he gave her was so severe. So stern. Trust had been broken, he had been hurt. "I told myself not to be paranoid, that it didn't matter because you would tell me anything…" Rose bit her lip and looked at the floor. The Doctor let out an aggressive sigh. "Go on."

"In that meeting, he told me someone had bribed the Botanians to capture us in exchange for their drone technology… which only confirms your theory someone's been jumping around time to lure us here."

"The Dalek arm, the ancient serpent, the vender with his strangely useful book, the maintenance man tipping us off to Ed… I knew it, and I just ignored it. Refused to allow myself to acknowledge a problem for the sake of more time with you." The Doctor was beyond angry, but it wasn't clear if he was angry with himself or Rose. His eyes became glassy and he turned away from Rose suddenly. He bowed his head and they were silent for several moments. "And Liz?" He said quietly after some time. "Did you know about her too?" Rose began to tear up as the shame overwhelmed her.

"A-as she lay dying she confessed someone had made her just for me…" Rose gulped. "to keep us both alive." The Doctor remained silent with his back to her. "She said that she had always been destined to die there. She said it all had to happen just so." There was silence once more. The Doctor looked up in an attempt to dry his eyes, then he turned to face Rose. Her face was flushed and twisted in a manner that suggested she was holding back a sob. A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry." She offered, causing The Doctor's shoulders to drop. He could never resist her, never. He came to her swiftly and scooped her up in his arms. "I don't understand time like you do, I was just doing what I thought was best." Rose wept into his leather jacket.

"I know, I know." He cooed as he stroked her hair tenderly. "I'm sorry too. It was probably safest that I didn't know… you were right to keep it secret." Rose pulled her head from his chest and sniffled. Her bloodshot eyes looked up at him sadly.

"I thought he was you… another regeneration from the future." She wiped her face with her sleeve. "I thought I could trust him." The Doctor nodded.

"Could have been." He raised a hand up to bite at his thumb anxiously. "I can't exist at the same time and place as myself, you saw for yourself what can happen…" Rose nodded, her mind briefly thought to tell him that the man went by the name Jude, but it seemed unimportant. The Doctor could give whatever name he wanted. Especially if he wanted to throw her off. She was still so convinced it had been him. "So," The Doctor broke her from her thoughts. "If I have all the facts here…" He paused and Rose nodded. "Daleks have been carefully guiding our path since the beginning to lead us to this point for an unknown reason, a future version of myself also came back to confirm we were following the path correctly and keeping us alive to do so. I can only assume I made Liz for you to protect you and act on my behalf as someone who knows what's going to happen… but the Daleks made Ed to kill us." Rose nodded again. "The questions still on the table: One, why do I want us to be here? Two, why do the Daleks want us to be here?" Rose shook her head this time. They both looked at the wall next to them as they mulled it over.

"None of it makes sense…" Rose muttered. " And isn't it odd that no one has intercepted us yet? In the heart of a Dalek factory and no alarms have been triggered? It's like they want us to think we have the upper hand-"

"Not anymore." A voice from behind interrupted her. "Hands in the air, don't move." The familiar sound of a blaster charging up made Rose obey automatically. The Doctor, however, rolled his eyes heavily and grudgingly and half-heartedly held his hands up. Rose took a risk to turn her head and catch a glimpse of their captor.

"Jack!" She exclaimed a grin spread across her face as her hands dropped instinctively. Jack did not return her friendly smile, and Rose suddenly felt uneasy.

"How do the two you know me? Are you time agents?" He asked in a threateningly firm voice. Rose bit her lip and spared a glance back at The Doctor. He offered no assistance.

"Jack, we're not Time Agents. We're your mates." Rose offered a smile. "Who also happen to travel through time. Freelancers, I think you called it."

"Mates?" Jack scoffed. "I doubt that. Why would a friend shove me into a closet? Doesn't seem very friendly."

"Doctor!" Rose turned and frowned at The Doctor who only shrugged. She clicked her tongue in irritation and turned back to Jack. "He's always been a little envious of you." The Doctor scoffed and rolled his eyes again. "Listen, this is going to sound completely mad, but you have to trust me on this. We've come from a parallel universe where the three of us used to travel together."

"You're right, I do think you're crazy." Jack raised his weapon firmly. "That sounds like a lot of crap to me." Rose was crestfallen. "Now the two of you better start talking. I've been casing this place for months and never unearthed a thing, you two stroll in here sticking out like sore thumbs and uncover the biggest weapons manufacturing facility I've seen since Villengard."

"Ah, the Banana Grove." The Doctor smiled cheekily. "Still funny." Rose elbowed him gently in the gut.

"Who are you two, how do you know me, and what exactly is this place?" Jack asked with slight irritation in his voice. "Tell me, or I'll start blasting." Rose cleared her throat and took a pleading step forward.

"Your name is Captain Jack Harkness, you were a Time Agent but defected when you found out they stole two years of your memory. You became a con man, which is how you met us, and we began traveling time and space together as mates." She offered calmly causing JAck's tough exterior to crack ever so slightly. "We helped you look for those memories, Jack. We were like a family." She offered a smile. "In the end, you sacrificed more of your memories to save us. To save the universe. You were a hero."

"You've got the wrong guy," Jack muttered gruffly. "I'm no hero."

"You're wrong." The Doctor piped up to Rose's surprise. "You've always been a hero, Jack. All you needed was the right support network."

"You have to trust us." Rose pleaded. "We could really use your help now, Captain. The Daleks need to be destroyed before they complete the army and start exterminating everything in the universe piece by piece." Jack seemed to consider her words, but his arms remained raised and aimed.

"Who or what are the Daleks?" Rose stared dumbly.

"They're ruthless killing machines. They want to wipe out every living thing in the universe! You have to help us!" She blurted.

"Or, I could just get back in the lift and leave you two here to die."

"The Jack I know would never do that," Rose replied firmly.

"How do you know this isn't the Universe where I'm pure evil?" Rose and Jack shared a long and silent stare. Her face just as determined as him to not blink.

"Right, well, if you are evil you might as well get out of our way so we can save the universe undisturbed." The Doctor cut into the thick tension and pushed past Rose roughly. "It's volcano day, Jackie-boy, either help or get out of the way." Jack watched him carefully as he brushed past him as well, then lowered his weapon.

"You sure we were friends?" Jack asked quizzically and jabbed a thumb in The Doctor's retreating direction. Rose grinned hopefully.

"The best of." She patted Jack tenderly on the arm as she passed. Jack stared at their shrinking forms as they moved down the hallway. With a quick look around and a bite to his lip, he decided to climb onto the lift.

It had been both elating and disappointing running into Captain Jack Harkness. Rose had hoped he would join them as he had before, but it was a long shot. Who could blame him? He had no stakes, he had no ties, and the two people before him sounded like raving lunatics. The Doctor knew it was pointless to waste time convincing him, and Rose had to believe he was right. Still, it was a shame. The last time she'd ever see her dear friend, and it had to be like that.

"You didn't have to treat him like that," Rose spoke breathlessly as her shorter legs attempted to match The Doctor's swift long strides.

"Treat them mean to keep them keen." The Doctor responded dully. Rose tutted irritatedly but decided to drop it. They needed to focus on surviving, and stopping the Daleks from whatever possible plans they might have.

"Where are we going?" She asked instead. The Doctor didn't respond. Rose pursed her lips and looked around as they continued to move swiftly down the halls. Then another thought popped up in her mind. "Did you find it odd that Jack hadn't heard of the Daleks before, being a Time Agent?" The Doctor stopped suddenly, causing Rose to collide with his shoulder. "Okay, that's getting old." She blurted as she rubbed her nose.

"It's all coming together…" The Doctor began mumbling to himself quickly. "They had to know we'd get this far… didn't exterminate Jack…" The Doctor began looking around, then his eyes fell on Rose. He gripped onto her shoulders. "You need to go. Run back to the lift and head straight for the TARDIS."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You don't get an option."

"This time," Rose ripped her shoulders from his grip with authority. "I do."

"Rose, it's like you said: There's no Doctor here, but they know who we are." The Doctor spoke frantically. "The Daleks aren't from here. Like you and me, they never existed… but if you and I can be here, then perhaps the Daleks have gotten through as well." Rose bit her lip nervously. She was about to offer a thought but was suddenly silenced by an all too familiar voice.

"DOC-TOR." The Doctor spun around and stretched his arms out protectively to shield Rose. Meeting his gaze was a battered old Dalek with its glowing eye-stalk pointed directly at them. He took a cautionary step back and ushered Rose behind him. "WE HAVE BEEN WAITING."

"What do you want?" The Doctor asked. The Daleks' head spun around to face the back and the rest of its body swiveled to meet it, then it began to roll down the hallway.

"YOU WILL FOLLOW." Rose looked up at The Doctor, but he didn't look back. Instead, he just followed.

"You can't seriously-" Rose began as she gripped onto his jacket. The Doctor glanced back at her, his expression unreadable.

"At this point what else can we do?"

"We can escape!" Rose hissed. "Turn and run. Right back to the TARDIS and get as far from here as we can." The Doctor sighed and looked down at his boots.

"They'd never let us escape. Getting in this easy was false confidence… and even if we did escape, there is nowhere in this universe they wouldn't find us. They tracked us throughout time and space to bring us here." Rose pursed her lips and glanced down at her hands wrapped tightly around the strings holding up her little bag.

"Alright." She breathed, then took The Doctor's hand into her own. "It's not over, Doctor. Not by a long shot." He tried to offer her a smile but it was strangled.

They followed the Dalek quietly down the hallway. It said nothing to them and didn't make any sort of sound as it glided on its way. For all the duo knew they were walking to their death, but it wasn't really in a Daleks nature to allow anything to live in the manner it was doing now. Surely they wanted them alive for some dastardly plan, but what could it be? Rose felt the light bump of the bag against her back as she walked and prayed Jude had not lead her astray.

A heavy metal sliding door clanked angrily to the side as the Dalek lead The Doctor and Rose inside what appeared to be a large and dimly lit room. With a few steps inside, it revealed itself to be a large octagonal room with tall walls stretching several hundred feet into the air. Something about the room felt very roman colosseum, as there were bench-like steps circling the room. At the front of the far side of the room, two more dingy Daleks stood silently. The third that had lead the duo into the room joined them and spun its body around. The Doctor stood perfectly still in the center of the room, with Rose just to his side, still holding his hand. It was eerily quiet, the only sound was Rose's ragged breath as she trembled with anticipation for what was to come.

"Well, you've got us here." The Doctor said, his voice bouncing off the walls and up into the long chamber above. Rose glanced up into whatever light source was beaming down on them.

"ROSE TYLER." The Dalek in the center spoke, causing Rose to jerk her head back down with a start. The Doctor's jaw clenched. "THE DALEK RACE THANKS YOU."

"What do you mean?" Rose sputtered. "I've done nothing-"

"YOU ARE THE VERY REASON WE SURVIVE." The Doctor cranked his head to the side to study her face. Rose blinked a few times in shock then looked up at The Doctor.

"What have you done?" He asked.

"Nothing!" She sputtered. "But…" She threw a hand up and bit at her nail. "Hypothetically speaking: If someone were to suck a bunch of Daleks into a void, then accidentally get sucked in themselves and then beamed out into an alternate dimension at the last second-" The Doctor looked dumbfounded. "Is it possible they could have latched on somehow?" She squinted her eyes as she prepared for his anger, but it never came.

"POSSIBILITY: 100%." The Daleks responded instead. "WE ARE THE ONLY SURVIVORS."

"That's why you're so beat up." The Doctor pointed out. "Bit of a rough landing?" They didn't respond. "Why haven't you repaired yourselves? You've made all this-" The Doctor raised his arms to gesture to the great hidden fortress around them.

"WE GROW WEAK." One of them stated. "WE ARE DYING… THE DALEKS MUST SURVIVE."

"I don't understand… You're building all those Dalek's out there…" Rose cut in.

"WE CANNOT GIVE THEM LIFE… BUT YOU CAN."

"Ah." The Doctor nodded knowingly. Rose looked up at him with a quirked brow, then back to the Daleks. "You've dedicated all you have left to set everything up for the moment you've been banking on, leaving nothing to chance. You plan to use Time-Traveler DNA to regenerate yourselves and kick start the Dalek army." Rose took a sharp intake of breath as she remembered when the Dalek in Utah used her DNA to regenerate itself. History repeats.

"CORRECT."

"Well, you don't need two time travelers then." The Doctor shrugged. "Let Rose go and I'll let you use me without a fight." The Daleks' eyestalks moved about as they looked at one another.

"ROSE TYLER IS THE ONE WE WANT." The Daleks responded. "YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED AT THE HANDS OF SPRINGSTEEN."

"Never thought I'd hear that." The Doctor muttered.

"WE PERMIT YOU TO LIVE SO THAT ROSE TYLER COMPLIES."

"Why me? I'm just a human." Rose asked shakily.

"QUITE." The Daleks agreed. "THE MORE PRIMITIVE THE LIFE FORM, THE EASIER TO OVERRIDE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS."

"Negative side effects?" She repeated. "You mean emotions?"

"YES."

"I've seen how that one turns out, it doesn't end well for you," Rose spoke confidently. "You'll want to die once my DNA is mixed with yours."

"WE HAVE PREPARED. WE HAVE HAD THE TIME TO CONSIDER ALL OUTCOMES." Rose gulped and looked back up at The Doctor.

"Really willing to take that chance?" The Doctor asked.

"ARE YOU?"

There was a silence that fell over the room as both sides stared the other down. Rose could feel her heart pounding in her chest wildly as she considered the situation. If only she could reach for her bag subtly. The Dalek on the far left began to move forward, it's laser pointed firmly on The Doctor.

"ROSE TYLER." It spoke loudly. "STEP INTO THE DEVICE OR THE DOCTOR WILL DIE." The Daleks all shifted to the side to reveal a panel behind them that was slowly opening. Inside was a tube filled with various wires all coming from somewhere in the top. They planned to use her as a battery.

"Don't do it." The Doctor said quietly. "We can figure this out. I'd rather die than allow the Daleks to resurrect their army."

"THEN YOU WILL DIE." The Dalek responded. "AND WE WILL FORCE ROSE TYLER INTO THE DEVICE."

"I don't believe you're capable." The Doctor accused boldly. "I think if you could kill me yourselves, you would have. You said so yourself, I was supposed to be dead already, so what's the difference?" A smile spread across his lips. "I think your lasers are damaged as well, you're not working properly. You're bluffing."

"LIES." The Daleks shouted in unison.

Rose stared at the metal floor beneath her feet with a deep and hard concentration as they bickered. Jude knew this was coming, he knew the outcome. He wouldn't have lead them here and risked his identity if they were just going to die and resurrect the Dalek race... She had to trust that he would lead her down the right path and that everything would turn out okay. This whole journey the same messages repeated over and over, 'don't be afraid', 'you need to prepare yourself'. Realization dawned on her. The pieces all came together. She knew what she had to do. She didn't need to fear, she just needed to trust, for what was about to happen would happen and had to happen. With that thought, Rose took a confident step forward.

"I'll do it." She stated calmly. The Doctor looked utterly scandalized.

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted angrily. She didn't respond, instead took another step, and then another. "Don't be stupid, Rose! They aren't working there is no reason to do this!" She still remained unresponsive, she didn't have time to explain it to him. He would figure it out. "You'll die if you go in there!" He was getting frantic. Rose glanced back at him over her shoulder as her hand rested on the opening of the device. His face looked deranged, his eyes glassy with tears and his skin red with anger. "If you step in there, the Daleks will destroy everything, starting with the last of the Time Lords, don't you see?!" He burst forward to grab her arm and pull her back, but a shot from one of the Dalek's lasers stunned him. He groaned in agony as his body his the ground. He'd been right about the damaged lasers, but they were still functioning enough to wound. Rose turned to face The Doctor fully, just in front of the device. Tears played at her eyes.

"I have to trust, Doctor." She said softly. The Doctor blinked aggressively to rid himself of the tears that blinded him. "I have to trust that everything needs to happen the way it's supposed to… for us to survive." She took a step backward into the tube as if in slow motion. The wires began to twitch to life and connect to her flesh, pinching her uncomfortably all over.

"ROSE!" The Doctor screamed his throat raw as he attempted once again to break through the wall of Daleks that had spun around to watch their device bring life to their fleet. Their bodies glowing with the sudden regeneration they were being given. The Doctor stumbled back, terrified. "What have you done?" He cried. Test tubes one floor above began bubbling as hundreds of single eyes ripped open to their birth and prepared themselves for their armor.

The Doctor watched the love of his life convulse under the pulsing wires. Her eyes rolled back into her head as electric currents seemed to roll through her. He dropped his head. Broken, defeated, and welcoming death at last. Rose was gone… the universe was about to be cleansed… there was nothing else. Any second now, those three Daleks before him would be as good as new and they'd turn their fully functioning lasers onto him. He was ready.

Then a sudden beam of blue light split through the air and crashed into the top of the device tube, cauterizing the wires and severing the flow of DNA. Rose flopped to the ground. All three Dalek heads spun to witness Captain Jack Harkness, posed with his sonic blaster aimed and charged. The Doctor jumped to his feet and ran towards Rose without a second thought.

"EXTERMINATE!" A Dalek yelled as a beam of light shot from its arm. Jack narrowly jumped out of the way and hit the floor beneath them with a quick sonic blast. A hole appeared, causing the surprised Daleks to fall through without having a chance to react. Jack swiftly reversed the blast and brought back the floor sealing the Daleks below.

"That should buy us enough time to escape." He said breathlessly as he jumped to his feet and rushed over to help The Doctor lift Rose. "What the hell was she thinking?"

"It's too late." The Doctor stated lowly, ignoring his last remark. "What she gave them was enough to bring life to the Dalek race… they'll kill us, and everyone on this rock within the hour." Jack gulped anxiously. Rose began to stir with a light groan. Her eyes clamped shut as if fighting the headache of a lifetime. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. "Incredibly stupid." The Doctor chastised softly as Rose opened her eyes. "Ape like behavior at it's finest."

"I thought you weren't going to call me that ever again?" Rose groaned.

"I wasn't expecting you to do something that insanely idiotic." He leaned his head down and kissed her gently on the forehead. "I'm sorry." He whispered against her skin. "But I still can't save you…" Rose blinked a few times.

"Maybe you won't have to… Where is my bag?" Rose asked suddenly, pushing herself against The Doctor to sit up. "Rose fumbled at the ropes over her shoulders and pulled the bag around. Shaky hands fumbled at the mouth of the bag while The Doctor and Captain watched carefully.

"What are you-" The Doctor began but was quickly shushed by Rose. He gave a look of surprise but she ignored it.

"Maybe this time…" Rose muttered as she dug into the bag anxiously. "I can save the day." She pulled the small chest from the bag and held it victoriously.

"What is that?" Jack asked curiously.

"I have no idea," Rose answered. "A mysterious young man from the future gave it to me and told me to open it when the time was right." She looked at The Doctor. "Only when we were facing certain death." His lips pursed.

"You couldn't have opened that before stepping into the death machine?" Jack asked sarcastically, Rose gave him a look.

"If I had, you might not have come back for the damsel in distress." Rose pointed out. "Plus I wasn't really in a position to try to pull out a secret weapon... or confident it would help..." She mumbled the last part nervously then took a deep breath. The chest was light in her hand, but something about it seemed to be alive. It sent chills down her spine. Her trembling fingers made to open the chest but The Doctor clamped his hand over hers.

"I don't think you should open that." He stated flatly.

"Why not?" Jack asked. "If we're going to die anyway, what do we have to lose?"

"I didn't give that to you." The Doctor ignored Jack, his eyes seriously locked onto Rose's. "I would never willingly give that to you." Rose looked back at him curiously.

"Then how do you know what it is?" They stared at each other in a standoff that made Jack feel uncomfortable and invisible. He wasn't used to the latter. "He had your watch, your sonic screwdriver,… if he wasn't you then-" Rose paused and they stared at each other in silence again.

With just a look, a decision had been made. The Doctor's hand slid away slowly and Rose took a deep breath. Her hand was clammy as her finger's hovered over the slick metal surface of the chest. She lightly tugged at its lid, ever so slowly. A sudden beam of light shot out causing both The Doctor and Jack to shield their eyes instinctively. The chest clanged to the floor between Rose's legs. Her eyes were wide with fear. The golden light beamed from the chest, tendrils swirling and reaching from inside, reaching for Rose. She was instantly filled with regret, horror and most disturbingly recognition.

"What is that?!" Jack shouted as he continued to shield his eyes.

"It's a piece of the heart of the TARDIS. Don't look at it!" The Doctor shouted back. "Rose! You don't have to do it. You can still look away! It's too risky!" Rose didn't move. Her heart pounded as she watched the tendrils reach out to her. The fear gripped her as she cursed herself for not expecting such an outcome. Of course, it had to go down like this. "You know what will happen!" Rose blinked, and suddenly the fear went away.

"That's right." She stated. "I do know what will happen." She reached out and gripped the little chest confidently.

"NO!" The Doctor shouted and reached out to grip her wrist. "You'll BURN!" Their faces were close as they looked intently into one another's soul. No words were said as the golden light began to reach out and surround Rose. She leaned forward and kissed him with a passion reserved for last moments, her free hand cupping his jaw firmly. She pulled back and rested her forehead against his as she looked into his eyes.

"Don't be afraid."

It was the last thing said before she pulled the box towards her, and the light grew ever stronger. Jack began to back away, his arm tightly over his eyes. The Doctor stared in blank horror as the light began to engulf Rose's entire body. It was happening again. Just as before, she would burn right before his eyes. Tears streamed down his face shamelessly. Rose became a solid body of glowing light as her body lifted from the ground. She outstretched her arms and tilted her head back and the light filled the room completely.

"I am the Bad Wolf." She stated in an ethereal voice that seemed to come from a thousand mouths and echo through your brain like a thought. "I see all."

"Let her go." The Doctor called up to her. "Please, you can't have her again. Not this time." Bad Wolf looked down onto The Doctor with glowing eyes, Rose was no more.

"I've always had her, Doctor." She replied. "I've always been inside her… and you knew it. You saw it." The Doctor gritted his teeth and climbed to his feet.

"I won't let you burn her."

"Burn her?" The Doctor stood defiantly at the feet of a God and dared to threaten it. "Doctor… I am her." With a swift wave of her arms, a pulse of light shot through the room, through the walls, and shook the asteroid with tremendous power. "How dare you attempt to command me, after all, I've done for you." The Doctor stumbled backward and landed on his rear. "I searched the timelines and punched a hole through the dimensional wall to bring you here. I brought her to you in Barcelona, I sent you on this quest through time and space, and I alone brought you here to face the Daleks." The Doctor stared dumbly with his mouth agape as he was ever so gently put into his place. "You only play at being God, Doctor… but I am God. You are just chess pieces." She stated with such authority that it sent a shiver down The Doctor's spine. "I am all-seeing and all-powerful. With a single thought, I can re-write the genetic makeup of anything…" She held her palms up delicately and her body grew even brighter. "and with the death of one race…" above the test tubes filled with thousands of newborn Daleks faded to dust. "I create another…" She lowered her arms and held her hands over her stomach. "I want you always," She whispered, in a voice that sounded almost human. "My Doctor." For a moment, The Doctor began to soften but with a sudden jerk, the light burst forth once more. It expanded, and then slowly began to shrink back into her form. Into her core… Then it was gone and there was nothing left but Rose.

The Doctor rushed forward as the light vanished. He caught Rose in his arms and kneeled to the ground carefully. Captain Jack hesitantly lowered his arm to have a peek, then dropped it when the coast was clear. The Doctor held Rose tight to his chest and stroked the hair from her cheek.

"Is she…" Jack asked quietly.

"No." The Doctor answered. "But very near."

"What just happened?"

"You witnessed a God." The Doctor replied simply. He craned his head up to make eye contact with his old companion. "Thank you." Jack looked dumbfounded. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't know." He shrugged anxiously. "It just… felt right." The Doctor pursed his lips and nodded, turning his attention back to Rose. "What about the uh-, the army?"

"All gone."

"What?" Jack took a step back. "Just like that?"

"Just like that." The Doctor repeated. Then on shaky knees, The Doctor stood, Rose in arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyrics from the summary: Tech Noir - Gunship 
> 
> The next chapter will be the last. I've been procrastinating because I'm anxious to post it. I hope it doesn't disappoint. Thank you, everyone, for coming on this journey with me!


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Through the mountain of fire  
With glass eyes and digital water  
Through the shadows, I'm coming home

There was a feeling of familiarity when Rose awoke inside the TARDIS. Like she'd been through this before. The BadWolf hangover… unmistakable. Her head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and her mind buzzed dully. She blinked a few times before realizing what was above her. It was Captain Jack. He was hanging over her with part curiosity and part concern.

"You're a pretty tough cookie, you know that?" He spoke softly, and a smile broke across his lips.

"Jack…" She mumbled appreciatively. "You came back."

"Yeah… guess you got to me." They smiled softly at each other for a few moments. Then Jack cleared his throat. "Doctor, she's awake." Rose began to lift herself as he spoke over his shoulder. "Easy does it, tiger. You've been through it." Rose allowed him to push her back onto what she could only assume was that beaten old dentist chair in the infirmary. The Doctor soon appeared by her side, a wide grin on his face.

"Remember anything this time?" He asked as if nothing cosmic had just unfolded.

"She came back," Rose stated dreamily. "The singing… I…" She shook her head, the thoughts were suddenly coming in too fast and too complex. Visions whizzed through her mind's eye at breakneck speed, Rose felt exhausted just trying to comprehend them. "I'm not really sure… I can't… seem to focus my thoughts…" She shut her eyes tight and tried to focus on this room, at this moment. The Doctor hummed, nodded and spun around. Rose tried to crane her head to follow him as he walked over to a computer.

"She didn't necessarily 'come back'," He said as he tapped his finger to the monitor. "There was always a piece of the vortex inside you, I caught it early on but thought nothing of it. Side effect of the first incident, nothing apparently harmful." He spun away from the monitor and headed over to another machine. "That said, when you opened that piece of the heart it re-ignited her full power and allowed her to take control again." Rose rubbed her forehead wearily.

"So how did I not get burned this time?" The Doctor cleared his throat uncomfortably and Jack, who had been listening in curiously whilst leaning on a battered piece of medical tech, took it as his cue to make a swift exit.

"Glad you're up on your feet, kid." He pinched Rose's cheek lightly. "Think I'm going to take a look around this place…" Rose touched her cheek and smiled. Jack and Rose had to be closer in age now, but he called her kid just like he used to. Perhaps somehow his memories of them were… but that was impossible… or was it?

"You're going to stay with us?" Rose perked up immediately and Jack grinned.

"If it's good enough for Alternate Universe Captain Jack Harkness-" He raised his hands in a cheeky move, then shrugged and backed out of the room. Rose bit at her tongue, beyond pleased at how things were shaping up. Maybe it was BadWolf, maybe it was fate, but at this point, she really couldn't care anymore. Her mind began to buzz again, visions of Jack as she'd once known him, their adventures together… but also some unfamiliar visions of Jack. They all fluttered about like seagulls for the last chip on a lonely beach inside her mind.

Rose clasped a hand to her head. The Doctor reached a gentle hand out and pulled her palm away from her face carefully. Her attention refocused on The Doctor and they seemed to fade away. He looked more than serious. His hands wrapped around her smaller one comfortingly.

"Rose," He began. "After all that's happened… Do you still want to stay with me? I mean, forever?" Rose blinked a few times. "Because if you don't, I understand, but if you do- well, I just have to know. Could you live with this daft old fool for a million years? Longer? Till the end of time?" Rose reached up with her free hand and touched his cheek gently.

"I couldn't dream of a more perfect life." He smiled, and in his smile, a weight seemed to have lifted. "Better with two, I always say." She beamed up at him and his gaze fell to the hands that gripped hers.

"Right," He cleared his throat. "About that." Rose furrowed her brow curiously, then let out a laugh.

"Oh, you aren't still jealous of Captain Jack?"

"No," The Doctor shook his head as if that was the furthest thing on his mind. "He's alright… I suppose… or at least, there's no getting rid of him now." Rose smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Then?"

"Well… before the Bad Wolf released you…" He was trying to choose his words carefully. "She may have changed a few things."

"What do you mean?" Rose sat up, suddenly quite anxious.

"For starters," The Doctor spun around again and headed back to the monitor. He typed a few things in and turned the screen to show her. "That was your scan before when we found each other again…" Rose nodded. He clicked another button. "That's your scan now." It looked completely different, but Rose couldn't understand why. She shook her head and gave him a confused look. The Doctor sighed. "Just for comparison," He hit another key. "Here's my scan." Rose leaned forward and furrowed her brow.

"They look… similar." She stated. The Doctor nodded. "What does that mean?" He came back to her side.

"Bad Wolf didn't just wipe out the Daleks and every memory of them ever existing in this universe. She's what brought us back together, what kept us going on this path…" He took a deep breath. "She also completely re-wired your genetics. Took out everything that was human and made you a completely different species." Rose was too shocked to respond. She looked down at her hands with wide eyes as she searched for the words or any visible changes to her anatomy. Her hands began to shake as realization dawned on her. Her body was now a completely foreign object to her. She wasn't even sure she knew her own mind anymore. She was so incredibly small and weak against the unlimited power of the Bad Wolf.

"W-what am I then?" She sputtered anxiously. The Doctor gripped both her hands in his own tightly to stop the shaking and offer comfort and support.

"Rose Tyler… You…" His dramatics were killing her, Rose could feel her heart pounding nervously… or… was there another beat in there…? Her brow furrowed as she attempted to keep her focus. "Are an honest to goodness Time Lord." He smiled softly. "Or Lady, whatever you like." He shrugged.

"That's not possible." Rose shook her head. She reached up to her chest and felt both hearts beating insanely fast. She gasped.

"How many things have we seen together were impossible?" Rose bit her lip anxiously, she had to agree. There had been some pretty unbelievable things in the past. This, however, seemed beyond the realm of possibility, even for them. Her mind began to buzz again. More visions flying in and out. As the panic began to overtake her, the harder it was to focus her thoughts.

Scenes replayed before her as if she were standing right there, reliving them. She could see Jack waking her just a few minutes ago and yet she was experiencing it again. She could see the Daleks, the Fountain of Youth, falling through the closet, Liz, Winston, the serpent, the dragon, and sweet little Joan. All at once! She choked on a whimper as the visions continued to pummel her senses. Things she didn't want to ever think about or see again. A small, dark and empty room, a terribly lonely life, a fractured mind, a tragic loss… an empty beach… Rose cried out. "What's happening?"

"You need to calm down, it's alright." The Doctor reached out from the darkness and held both palms to either side of Rose's face. "You're just letting your thoughts get away on you. Focus on my voice…" He spoke firmly, but the calmness in his tone soothed Rose and she obeyed. The visions began to fade into the background once more. Slowly, she could see him again. "There." The Doctor breathed. "It'll take some getting used to… but I'm afraid that will be your new normal." He kept his hands firmly on her head. "I'm sorry, I know it's maddening… but it will get easier. You just need to focus on what's happening in the moment and ignore the past and the future. They can't help you." Rose's mind began to flutter, much slower this time. Visions flashed of The Doctor, a long time ago, in another universe. He was crying, "That's what I see… all the time! Doesn't it drive you mad?" Rose could feel the tears well up as the memory played before her as if it were in real-time. The Doctor's tortured face glitching in and out from The Doctor's current calm one. "The past hurts, and having to relive it all the time is the curse I've carried." His eyes were locked onto hers with an almost kindred intensity. "I'm sorry you have to now too… but I can help you adjust. You'll learn quickly."

"How do you manage?" Rose asked weakly.

"Could be different to be born this way… I suppose Time Lords are meant to think this way and therefor not know any better… but I've always been a bit of a rebel." His eyes looked a little sad now. "I want to live in the now." He confessed. "Humans get to live such rich and fulfilling lives because they never know what tomorrow will bring and I admire that…" Rose nodded her head slowly. "I suppose, I keep myself distracted. I never stop traveling, never stop talking, always have a companion…" He brushed a stray hair out of Rose's face and replaced his palm where it had been on her temple. It was at this moment, Rose realized that The Doctor was no longer moving his lips as he spoke. "We can keep each other grounded now."

"A-are you…" Rose cut in quietly. "Talking inside my head?" The Doctor smiled and looked down. His hands slid from her temples and onto her lap.

"Yeah, sorry."

"S'alright." Rose took his hands in hers. They sat quietly for a few moments. Rose taking in the gravity of the situation, and perhaps The Doctor was too. This was an immense change and one that came with an enormous price tag. Rose would never lead a normal life again… and it was that thought that made the tiniest smile pull at the corner of her lips. She would never live a normal life again. "Is that something I'll be able to do now?" The Doctor glanced up and his smile widened in a cheeky way.

"Yeah." Rose smiled back.

It was at that moment the two took in the truly exciting outcome of the whole ordeal they'd been through. Bad Wolf hadn't been playing with them… she'd given them everything. She had seen in their minds and in their hearts and gave them everything they ever wanted. For Rose, a second chance to live a better life forever with the man she loved, and for The Doctor a second chance to heal, to love, and to move on with the woman who'd saved him.

"You did it, Doctor." Rose beamed brightly, her eyes twinkling with a sudden renewed energy. The Doctor's smile turned to a look of confusion. His brows twisted comically as he tried to figure out what she meant. "You found your holy grail!" It took a minute to register, but once it did, The Doctor beamed too.

"Right, suppose I did!" He leaned back on his stool and crossed his arms proudly in front of his chest. Then he let out a laugh as if he couldn't really believe it. "Oh, well, I can't really take the credit. Bad Wolf did all the work, truly." Rose laughed and pulled him in for a kiss. It was quick but full of mirth. Lovers with a new lease on life. Rose was now brimming with hopeful excitement, but she carefully kept her focus on the present, so as not to spoil their long and happy future together. She could feel the visions tickling the back of her mind but she held firm.

Then The Doctor leaned in once more. "There's something more… if you can handle it." Rose locked onto his eyes with her own wide ones. She remained silent, debating if she could handle anything more, then slowly she nodded her head. The Doctor nodded and took a deep breath. "I had one rule on this ship… what was it?"

"Don't wander off?"

"No."

"Don't touch anything without asking first?"

"No."

"B…..ananas are good?"

"No- listen," The Doctor ran a hand along his face. "Domestic. Don't make it domestic." Rose nodded suddenly recalling his distaste for the whole family scene, or rather the squabbling that came with it. Visions of her mother slapping him whistled briefly through her mind, but she ushered them along. "Well… I think we're going to have to break that one." Rose furrowed her brow.

"You're going to let my mother travel with us?"

"What? No. Why would you even suggest-" The Doctor took a deep breath. "No."

"Quit dancing around and just tell me. What's going on?" They locked eyes once more and The Doctor felt his hearts skip. She was so beautiful, so clever, so warm. He couldn't wait to start their next adventure. A smile spread across his lips as he leaned in close, his hand slithered out from hers and rested gently on her stomach in a warm touch. Rose looked down at it, then back at The Doctor, then down again, then up again. As the realization dawned on her, she raised her free hand to cover shocked expression. Visions of a life she didn't know began to whiz by very quickly and without warning. She couldn't make anything out specifically, but a face stuck out very clearly. Her hearts began to beat with timid excitement.

"Don't mess about, Doctor. Are you seriously implying what I think you are?" The Doctor let his classic grin spread across his face.

"Rose Tyler, you're going to be a mother." Rose began to cry, happy warm tears. "Not just any mother," The Doctor added, his eyes beginning to grow glassy as well. "The mother, of a race once thought to be extinct." She thrust forward and wrapped The Doctor in arms. More beautiful golden visions fluttered swiftly through her mind. She couldn't stop them, she didn't have the willpower. Tiny feet in soft green grass, giggles, snuggles, tears from a fresh bruise magically kissed away. Rose tried not to focus on them, but the warm tears that ran down her own cheeks were filled with a love and happiness she wasn't sure she would ever know. She kissed The Doctor and laughed, but the laughter soon melted away with another realization. She pulled back and with a worried expression, caused The Doctor's smile to disappear.

"Is this-? did she-?" The Doctor pursed his lips and Rose began to grow nervous.

"I can't say for sure, but it looks as though you were already fifteen weeks pregnant before we got here." The smile returned to Rose's face. "A quick scan confirmed, it shares both our DNA." The laughter bubbled up once more and Rose hugged The Doctor again.

"Did you know this could happen?" The Doctor laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"No." He laughed. "Devine intervention, I suppose." It was his turn to pull back this time, he had a thoughtful look. "It's not too hard to believe, same hardware anyway… Time Lords aren't usually born the natural way anymore… got too advanced."

"So they'll be a Time Lord? Even though I wasn't one… until now, I guess?"

"Right," The Doctor nodded. "They're a Time Lord. I checked. Two hearts and all."

"You've seen him?" The Doctor grinned, his biggest yet, and pulled away from her to bring up the monitor once more. With a few clicks and taps, he turned the screen to show her the ultrasound. There was the shape of a tiny little bean, just waiting to explore all of space and time. Rose began to cry again. "I can't believe it."

"Neither can I." The Doctor beamed. "Never thought I'd be a father again… Or that there'd be any Time Lords again…" He tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. "It's a funny old world." Rose nodded her agreement. "How did you know it was a boy?" The Doctor asked suddenly, his eyes flicking back to the monitor. "Did you peek into the future? Spoilers? Be honest." Rose gave a knowing smile and rubbed her stomach.

"No," She stated. Her eyes glazing with daydreams. A vision of a young man in a cloak. "I've met him." The Doctor looked half surprised, he pulled his hands from his pockets and folded them across his chest as if prepared to hear more. Rose glanced at him and smiled. "The young man who gave me the chest, who warned me of the Daleks, he wasn't you at all… He was our son…" The Doctor joined Rose once more and wrapped an arm around her. "Jude." Rose sighed softly. The Doctor crinkled his nose.

"Well, we'll have to talk about that." He jested.

"Too late," Rose shrugged. "It's already done." They grinned at one another. The Doctor planted a kiss on Rose's forehead then rested his head against hers and sighed.

"The start of the TimeLords." Rose sighed too. "Better get to work on making more." He laughed and gave a mock flinch as Rose lightly swatted him for his cheeky behaviour.

Everything had come to pass exactly as it had been intended. All the players had come to play their part perfectly, but now the curtain was closing… or perhaps a new curtain was opening. With the death of one race, a new one is born. For the two Time Lords, their quest had been a success and their true adventure was just beginning. There is a whole new Universe to explore, and eternity to do it.

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. 
> 
> I don't know what I'll do with my downtime now, haha.

**Author's Note:**

> Initially inspired by a song, further inspired by a lot of 'what ifs' I had... turned into this whole beastie of a plot.  
This is posted almost entirely on Fanfiction.net as well, so if you want to read ahead you can do so there.  
Cheers.


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